Pure Observation
Landscape painter Bill Farnsworth balances the colors of the natural environment through a direct observational approach

My theme for this demonstration is how to balance a variety of greens, which almost everyone has a tough time with. I will also show my method of working from the inside out by comparing adjacent values on the palette. About three-quarters of this painting is done alla prima (in one sitting). Working from three known adjacent values, I can work out from there during my block in.

My goal is to start a story with the painting and let the viewer finish it to conjure a remembered time or a place they want to wander into. I’m not interested in creating a photorealistic painting where everything is spelled out, but rather, a painting with some realism, some vague areas and a feeling that you are right there in the scene—to feel the warm sunshine or cool air, the humidity and dryness. The source of my inspiration is pure observation from life, whether it is a field study, photo or memory.

It’s amazing how much we remember from being there on the spot. I bring back to the studio the essence of the scene. The thing that I remember most is what struck me emotionally. That is the essence which becomes the title. Sometimes we can wander in a painting and lose what the picture is all about. I have a general title before I start to get to work. Through intense observation we begin to feel empathy for our subject, and from that comes understanding.

About the Artist
As a 1980 graduate of the Ringling School of Art and Design, Bill Farnsworth has spent more than 40 years as an illustrator and fine artist. Born in Norwalk, Connecticut in 1958, Farnsworth spent most of his life in New Milford, Connecticut, painting landscapes of the rural area while supporting himself and family with his growing illustration career. Farnsworth is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, a Master Signature member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society, and a Signature member of Oil Painters of America and American Society of Impressionists. He has also been elected an Art Renewal Center Associate Living Master.