"Down in the Valley"

 

Last week I journeyed to the southern river bluffs of St. Joe, MO.  My dad owns 7 acres from atop of one of these hills with a grand view in his backyard of the Missouri River floodplains.  These hills are known as Bluffwoods as they are mostly forested.  The bluffs are a portion of the last remaining oak-hickory forested areas of northwest Missouri and are preserved by the Missouri Department of Conservation.  The family has watched many storms and sunsets from this location. 



Some trees on dad's property have matured over the years limiting my view, so it was best to paint from the old pool deck for a better scene.  One of the things that makes this painting interesting, is the old abandoned house nestled between three bluffs.  That's probably the oldest house in the area and was built in the middle of nowhere. 

"Down in the Valley"
12x24 oil on canvas
2012

After blocking in my shapes and creating the composition, I used up my two hours and decided to take it to my studio for detailing.  Without references to go by, I completed the painting by memory and am very pleased with the results.  This painting turned out better than I had first thought, I almost eliminated the tall tree in the foreground and am glad that I didn't.  This is "Down in the Valley."