I found this lovely landscape painting at the FaithCentre thrift store in Bellefonte, PA. The painting appears to be finished, but the canvas is simply stretched over and stapled to a meager wooden frame. Some guy named Jim Schaal wrote his name three times on the back of the painting. Since the artist would have signed the front, I'm guessing Jim was an extremely possessive former owner of the work.
I can understand why he was so eager to claim this gem: just look at the amazing "topography" of the bark on that tree! Its raised, textured surface was the first thing to catch my eye, what with the bark extending nearly an inch from the canvas in the middle section of the tree. I think this effect was achieved using modeling paste, a white acrylic substance that can be molded onto a surface and then painted over.
Other things I love about this painting: the different brush techniques used to achieve the look of branches (long, thin strokes) and leaves (stippling); the beautiful colors, especially the orange that really pops; the reflection of the distant row of reeds in the water that draws your eye toward the horizon. It's the kind of scene you just want to crawl into, like a little bug exploring every nook and cranny of the knotty bark. I'm so happy to have this hanging on the wall opposite my front door, so that it's the first thing I see when I come home.
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