LANDSCAPE PAINTING,The western art of Texas by Hugh Campbell

The art world has been blessed by great Landscape Painting. And we are being blessed by many wonderful artists presently who love the landscape scenery. There are those who paint the passing of a moment in time, a mood, a condition, or in other words, a main singular effect on form. These artists are really portrait artists at heart because of the significant singular effect they produce. They know what they are after and arrive without any hesitation. The landscape artist will have multiple items of importance subordinately vying for interest. But he juggles them around in such a fashion to keep the viewer moving throughout the painting with ease and grace. He may or may not intentionally be arriving at an overall main theme, but one theme usually shows itself. But the lesser items of interest are so enforced to the viewer that his travel slows down to observe each focal point in the painting. These focal points may be a sharp edge, a bright color, a different object, a different temperature of color, an unusual size or shape of form, a rough texture or whatever.
The reason for this explanation is that I am basically a portrait painter, but had been perplexed for many years of having trials painting landscapes with many focal points of interest and didn't realize my problem. It has helped me to focus on one main effect even though I am painting a "Landscape". Both types of painting deserve the best of concentration no matter how long it takes to paint the scene. And certainly there are those who are successful of each type. Usually artists will feel more comfortable in one or the other. I love to work in pastels and oils. Here are a few.