Tree and Hillside (Oil Bar Painting as of January 9, 2015)

I worked on this painting this morning.  I am painting from photos I took in October at Appleton Farms in Ipswich, MA.  (My photo references are posted here on Jan. 2nd and 3rd. Today I concentrated on the shape and placement of the tree.  I want to create a gentle arc where the top of the tree brushes the top edge of the canvas, a more subtle transition than in the photos. Yet I still want the tree to look as large as possible. I decided to try to moving the highest branches down and in just a bit. I sketched in a circle as a guide for the shape I want for the crown of the tree. I also used a ruler to make sure the tree is straight, and then also worked on the fence, making adjustments in perspective.  I think the composition is a little better now.  I am not worrying about color at all at this point.