The Steward

One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.
G. K. Chesterton

I have done this particular painting before on a 4" x 5" canvas (see it on my website). This time I'm doing a much larger version ~ 16" x 20". I love the colors and the composition. Recently, we saw a wonderful movie called Up the Yangtze. It was about one of the final voyages of a cruise ship up a part of the Yangtze that was going to become flooded after a new dam was built. Rather than a documentary about the building of the dam, or a simple cinematic recording of the river and surrounding countryside, the movie delved into the lives of the peasants that were going to be flooded out, contrasting them to the lives of the passengers on the cruise ship. What do people who are in service to others really think of those they serve? This unforgettable movie will open one's eyes in many ways ~ I highly recommend it.

As I made a quick sketch, it occurred to me that this figure clearly demonstrates how a painting is composed of a group of forms. Without the hands this is almost an abstract work. Only with shading and softening of edges will the figure begin to take on dimension.