This week’s final featured artist is Louis Dilts, a Colorado painter in oil, pastel, and watercolor. I didn’t actually find a lot of pieces on his website, but out of the few I saw, I really enjoyed the expressive qualities of two paintings in particular.
Cowboy is a great example of a how certain types of brush strokes can really change, or even set the mood, of a painting.
Most of the painting is simply rough strokes of paint, which is a style I like anyway, but when the subject matter is a cowboy it really seems to enhance and fit the piece.
The colors Louis uses feel right too. Amidst primarily tans and creams, even a splash of blue and that muted red bandanna really stand out.
Overall, the painting just feels like rawhide and desert, which is how art should be—a visual experience on all levels, with color, texture, and imagery that all go together.
Study in Grey has a lot of the same techniques and ideas behind it.
Cold, bleak colors (neutralized blue and umber) make for a chilly image, and a rather desolate seascape as well.
But even with this limited, neutral palette, Louis is still using complementary hues. Those dark browns of the crumbling dock and pale tan skies are a good choice because they visually increase the “cold” of the water.
And again, with rough, thick strokes of paint, Louis made a texturally interesting piece while adding to the emotion or feeling of the scene.
If you’re interested in texture, make sure to check out Louis Dilt’s other oil paintings at his website, along with his pastel and watercolor works too.
