Riffing on William Keith 4x6
This painting completed just yesterday, is a departure from my earlier, more faithful studies of the Masters. Instead, it’s more like a cover song, if you will—of William Keith’s work. A California Tonalist whose dark, moody compositions have always intrigued me.
Riffing on William Keith 4x6
William Keith’s art is some of the darkest Tonalist work you’ll find online, and I can’t help but see the influence of George Inness in his pieces. For this painting, I took liberties with his original composition. I approximated his color palette, added a path, and reworked the sky to better suit my vision. This approach is part of an ongoing evolution in my work. Early on, I focused on faithful studies during my 100 Days of Tonalism series, followed by the Past Master Series. But now, I’m more interested in taking inspiration fom the Masters and making it my own.
One of the standout elements in this piece is the blue-orange sky, a challenging color combination due to its complementary nature. I used Prussian blue, muting it with darker tones and blending in pinks and oranges to harmonize with the landscape below.
I’ve learned that every painting takes the time it needs. My goal is always to create something beautiful, and that requires patience and dedication. If you’re a painter, I know you share this intention. Creating beauty demands effort and introspection. You need to understand what beauty means to you and how to translate that into your work. It’s not the most difficult task ever, but it does require focus and lots of practice.
I’ve been painting landscapes for about 15 years, and my process has become highly intuitive. While working, I receive intuitive prompts like; try this color, use that brush, these intuitions come from years of painting experience. Intuition in art is honed through repetition and reflection. You can’t develop good instincts without putting in the time.
This brings me to the topic of AI-generated art. While AI can produce impressive images, I believe human artists will succeed based on expressing their own unique perspectives. Mastery comes from dedication and hard work, not from tools and tricks that make creation effortless. I’ve dedicated years to painting, and the greatest rewards come from the struggle to create something meaningful.
Landscape painting, while able to be done relatively quickly, is fraught with many potential pitfalls. Completing a paintings swiftly can be helpful because it allows you to produce more work and learn from your mistakes. Many times its only by looking back at older pieces can you see what doesn’t work and refine your technique.
My process is intuitive, but it’s built on a foundation of knowledge. Every brushstroke relates to the next, and knowing when to stop is crucial. This painting could have taken longer—I could have added tiny highlights after letting it dry—but I prefer the immediacy of fresh, direct interaction with the canvas.
In the past, I enjoyed working dry over wet, but I’ve moved away from that technique because it often sapped the energy from my work. As an artist, I’m constantly figuring out how to make each piece beautiful, how to convey feeling, and how to capture the essence of a scene. If I were to paint this again today, the result would be different.
For those interested, members of my channel can view William Keith’s original reference, my modified version, and the live painting session that captures the creative struggle live in the studio. Not a struggle of hardship, but of striving to create something beautiful and meaningful.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope you’re having a productive week and finding time to create. Until next time, take care of yourself, your family, and your loved ones. Stay out of trouble.
Cheers,
—M Francis McCarthy