The road is short when you know it leads right to heaven. This painting of an autumn road is a quick sketch of an idea that I hope to rework in a larger format in the future. I used oil on linen panel to paint this small landscape. It is a mix of memories of places in my home country and a fantasy. Sometimes, one sees nothing but the road leading right into the sky. Seeing the path ahead and following it is the beauty of the journey.
The painting plays on the autumn color palette of a cold blue sky and bright golden leaves. It’s a chilly, but sunny day with crisp blues popping through the yellow. It is hard to build a believable perspective of such road, but I plan to do several en plein air studies before I start the larger painting. Luckily, there are several hills around the place I live as it’s very important to practice from real life. It’s interesting how a single work from memory inspires a whole series around the subject!
