Will post

Steve Ludeman

Sunset Timberline Trail 2015

Watercolor

WSO

L2017:10.50

An artist's tryst with deep chasm
Steve Ludeman makes use of vivid watercolors to emancipate the Sunset at Timberline
Trail, Mt. Hood

For every artwork created, his inspiration came From the varied beauty and remarkable natural
and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. The artist's vivid interest in climbing, skiing and
backpacking in most wild and scenic places have left a mark over him. These outdoor
adventures have influenced the landscape and seascape Painting. That's one of the most
profound ways to Express his stories. Timberline Trail, a hiking trail around Mount Hood in the
US has been a famous hiking point for select individuals since decades. Steve has used a perfect
mix of watercolors depicting dusk in the valley. What's more noticeable is the use of different
colors whilst maintaining the basic characteristic features of the landscape. The paper deliberates
upon the diverse biodiversity changes, land ethics, environmental issues and ecological
restoration.



Aesthetics
While looking at the painting, we notice the basic characteristic feature of any painting, namely
the lines, shapes, use of space, light, focus, color, texture, time, motion, style, subject and other
minute details and emphasis n the attention to details. Going in the same order, the artist has
made distinct use of lines and shapes, in order to display the transit of the ox and cows along
with a horse and the people accompanying them (3). The second most distinct feature one would
notice is the withered tree and a small plant, both diagonally opposite. Shadows have been
clearly depicted. The setting shows a barren deserted route, with 2 horses accompanied by a
horsewoman and horseman respectively, embodied with typical cowboy features, they seem
to be going for a purpose. Textures marks are very detailed specifically for the ox at the front, as
well as the horse on the front. The sky is clear and a bit faded though. The colors used are
mostly warm and light, with light brown shade dominating the entire scene. However, the artist
has done a commendable job using watercolors while maintain every detail that one may notice.
Title- Along the Santa Fe Trail
Artist- Michell Archer
Watercolor
WFWS
L2017:11:59
Through the Crossroads
The painting, along the Santa Fe trail by Michell Archer, depicting a horsewoman at first
guiding a chain of ox-drawn carriages along with two other horsemen. Apart from a withered
tree and a few plants, nothing else can be seen in the desert like background. The purpose of this
art, in days well before photography was introduced was to accurately depict what the artist saw
or perceived as. Well, Santa Fe Trail was a transit between US and Mexico, it had various
elements in the form of a diverse society that included Mexican citizens who came east on the
trail, as well as US citizens who went east. Confronted with the militarization of both commerce
and development, impoverished, communities were often assailed by coercion and development.
People had to patch together and cooperate with the superior military because of many
constraints which could have affected their trade at a larger scale. Coming over to the practices
followed by the people which somehow pertain to the concept of Slow violence (Rob Nixon),
which refers to violence that occurs gradually and out of sight, a violence of delayed destruction
that is dispersed across time and space, and as erupting into instant sensational visibility.
Keeping into account the setting of the painting, on the prima facie, one can draw basic outlines
regarding the depiction of a horsewoman, crossing the trail in broad daylight, this self justifies
the uneventful and unpredictable scenario. Considering the geological aspects, we need to
analyze the massive impact of trade and industrialization. However, the painting, even if look at
the aesthetics, does not clearly point out towards trade practices, but rather it looks like a
caravan. It does not seem to be a vernacular landscape....