Sheep in a River Canyon Painting

"Sheep in a River Canyon" 16" X 20" oil on canvas, 2022, Bruce Black.

I recently finished this painting.  "Sheep in a River Canyon" 16" X 20" oil on canvas, 2022, Bruce Black.  The painting depicts a quiet moment just as the early sun is settling into a small river canyon.  A group of sheep are huddled along the river's bank grazing and drinking.  There is a feeling of calm tranquility as the light dances off the lightly colored backs of the sheep, and one can almost imagine the burbling sounds of the creek and soft mewing of the sheep. 

For the composition, I placed a larger sheep closer up.  Your eye enters the painting from the bottom left, following the creek to the first sheep.  Then, it travels across the creek following the darker shadow tones.  Your eye then finds the flocked sheep and begins to take in the background.  I enjoyed the challenge of painting the cool shadows in juxtaposition to the warm early light on the far bank.  In addition, it was fun to research the sheep and work on painting their anatomy in a way that is believable but not overworked.  I tried to keep the whole painting loose and filled with light. 

Sheep in a River Canyon, close up detail. Bruce Black