Arthur Lemon

The Wooing of Daphnis

The near black tones in the trees brings out the white of the cows in this bucolic scene.

Helen Sheldon Smillie 1854-1926

When the Dew is in the Grass

Ross Dickinson - American

Valley Farms, approx 40 x 50 inches

Gustave Cimiotti - American

Summer Hillside, 1920, 15 x 18 inches

The sky has been pushed up to the top of this composition, making the expanse of hillside more powerful. A much stronger image than if the horizon had been placed according to the rule of thirds. Chosing a squarish format, rather than a rectangular one, gives a feeling of stability and rest, which suits the subject - a hill. But the curving diagonals provide visual energy, and lead the eye from the hilltop to the pond - a small area of blue in the lower right corner to nicely balances the blue sky at the top of the painting.

Dorrit Black - Australian

The Olive Plantation, 1946, 63.5 x 86.5 cm

In the Foothills

Landscape painting of the 30's and 40's was often characterised by robust structure, reflecting the dramatic upheavals of the period. It's worth looking at these works if your landscapes have become too vague. Cezanne was the precursor of this kind of painting. Outlines are strong but also broken. Without this breaking of lines, the image would become captive and lifeless.
See also this work by Ross Dickinson

Emile Friant

Voyage a l'infini, 150 x 120 cm

Robert Havell

 

Sunlight streaming through glorious clouds produces a mood of the sublime.