SOME DAYS ARE ROCKS

(Click image to enlarge)

Some days are diamonds and some days are rocks. This was a rock. I think the overall composition is good and I liked the photograph; but the execution of the painting was off. I'm not sure where to start in critiquing this painting. I like the train and especially the undercarriage. I couldn't clearly see from the photo what the train wheels and other features below the paint line were. So I basically made a bunch of swipes of black and gray paint while leaving a bit of white. I like the effect.

The trees and the tree shadows are another matter. The shadow for the tree on the left is too short. The shadow on the tree on the right doesn't accurately mimic the tree it is attached to. The leaves on the ground are a bit too evenly spaced and the grass they are one is too light and too even.

The building in the background looks better after I darkened the windows considerably. But as an overall painting, I don't care for this one. And I was on a kind of roll with about 4 in a row that I really liked. Back to the drawing board.