August Rose (Sunset, Thursday, 26 August 2010)

William Van Doren, August Rose (Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va.) Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Cloud in Front (Sunset, Wednesday, 25 August 2010)

William Van Doren, Cloud in Front (Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va.) Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

When the painting started, it was going to be about dark “shadow rays” fanning up from the horizon – shadows of clouds – paradoxically giving the impression of light rays between them. But they got increasingly brushed back as the painting developed, and it somehow became for me more or less about the cloud in front.

Variations on Gray in Search of Gray (Sunset, Monday, 23 August 2010)

William Van Doren, Variations on Gray in Search of Gray (Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va.) Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

I wasn’t sure when I started whether this sunset was going to be “Variations on Gray in Search of the Night” (which seemed kind of obvious) or maybe “Variations on Gray in Search of Peace” (precious). Decided on the title as shown.

Sunset, Sunday, 22 August 2010

William Van Doren, Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Painting the sunset presents special challenges to an artist who doesn’t particularly believe in painting ‘what he sees’ – inasmuch as these paintings originate totally in what I’ve just seen! There are many choices, whether to go with what was pretty, what was odd, and at what stage – and then there’s the choice to go with what was there but unseen. This painting stays close to the visual script.

I hope eventually this series, including the writings, may be seen as a progression of explorations of what can be seen and understood at a particular moment. I sometimes think that the slightly uncomfortable paintings, the ones that seemed awkward at the time, like, to some extent, tonight’s and last night’s sunsets, may someday be seen as among the more interesting images in the series.

Sunset, Saturday, 21 August 2010

William Van Doren, Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Comments are enabled here tonight for the first time. (It’s a long story ...)

Sunset, Friday, 20 August 2010

William Van Doren, Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.