Erin Dertner, oil painting on canvas. Mendocino's headlands tower over the beach below, creating those enticing shadows with the iconic Presbyterian church above. 12" x 16' canvas, the framed size is 15" x 19"
About Enticing Shadows, Erin says:
"The ‘Golden Hour’ is truly one of Mendocino’s best garments, so to speak. The way the setting sun bathes the warm bluffs, background hills and headland meadows and makes them all meld into one statement of the warmest gold. Thankfully, the shadows that are cast late in the day introduce the complementary violet tones that makes an artist’s heart sing. This particular snippet of time is fleeting, so I run around with my camera instead of attempting a frantic painting and later on was able to focus on the simple warm shapes against the cool sections of shadowed cliffs and soothing water. The brush works well for creating soft background edges while the palette knife introduces intrigue and texture in the closer areas and I used both methods in this painting."
Long-time Mendocino plein air artist proficient in oils with a palette knife, oils with brushes, watercolors, and acrylics.
Painting, studying and teaching the subject of light is Erin’s driving force. The cool shadows of the early morning and those that fall long and warm in the evening enliven her creative soul as nothing else. Subject matter is secondary to the sunlight itself, though her locations speak volumes about God’s wondrous world of color, drama and mystery.