Middle-earth Journeys

I think it's awesome (as my students say about everything that is above averge, but I think it is MUCH above average!), marbretherese! It is such an iconic scene in LOTR, but you give us all the essential features. It is alive and full of the right colors. I'd love to have it on my wall!

What is it that Bob Ross always says...You don't make mistakes, just have happy accidents.

Riv Res wrote:You don't make mistakes, just have happy accidents.

It felt like I was making mistakes at the time I did learn a lot along the way though - discovering that I don't like using gouache much for example - and it's given me ideas for future paintings, so definitely not a waste of time. I'm glad you both like it so much; composition and perspective went out of the window on this one but I have tried to stay true to Tolkien's description of the colours. Thanks to your kind comments I'm starting to feel more enthusiastic about it now!

Good Lord, when you said you were having trouble with the painting I never expected anything like this. It's gorgeous. I love the limited pallet and vibrent colours. It shimmers with mystery like Cerin Amroth should and the figures have all worked really well with not too much detail to distract.

The wet-in-wet gives all the leaf effects at the bottom too and I love the way the shade changes on the tree trunks as they recede. The only thing that distracts is the white on the tall tree at the back.

Do you know? I actually think this is your best one yet. It has really distinctive style despite your best efforts to produce something different.

We're really rocking on this thread . And I can't wait to see your revised window, Riv!

marbretherese, I don't know what mistake you made that resulted in people in your landscape, but it was a great mistake! The minimal detail works very well! The colors all work well together and I love how it blends! Great job!

A switch from carved wood to a stained glass effect...





Looking at them side by side I think the whole subject matter does better with the more refined stained glass.

© Rabbit Ridge Art

Oh, yes! I think this is a much better palette, Riv Res, so there is more unity to the composition. I like the celtic knots, too.

I agree, the subtle changes you've made to the colours in the main picture work very well, and using the paler blue above the window puts more emphasis on the view.

I really admire your patience in re-working your paintings when you feel it's necessary, Riv!!

I agree with Merry. The dark blue in the first rendition "washes out" the view through the window. In the second effort, the view through the window sparkles! Very nice!

I think it's lovely Riv! And the waterfall works much better in the second version too . Beautiful!

A new one...

© Riv Res

Lovely colours and excellent shadows, Riv!!

Watercolor classes work wonders for your values.

Very nice Riv! I love how the leaves frame the scene.

Riv Res, I have looked at this several times today and have had trouble finding the words to say what I want to say. I have loved mallorns since first I read about them, some 42 years ago! So I'm excited that you have attempted this landscape. But my first impression was that there was not something right about the picture, and I've finally figured out why. The white trees are obviously in winter--this is the time of year when the Fellowship first see them. But the rest of the picture looks like summer. Tolkien uses the word 'fallow' when he talks about the gold color of the mallorn trees, and I think that means something more subtle and muted, probably with no orange in it.

I think the colors in this are very important. Doesn't Sam say or think something about how the colors were the same colors that he has always seen, but they seem brand new? This would be a very difficult sense to portray!