Appalachian Blackberry Patch Farm Landscape

Appalachian Blackberry Patch Farm Landscape

Artist: Walt Curlee (Alabama)

Created in 2007 with Digital Brush and Wacom Board

Size: 24"x30"

Walt Curlee uses a very specific style for his entire "Rural Americana" collection; All with vivid color and distinct color patterns and precise brushstrokes. This painting is a part of that collection The entire collection can be viewed in the Rural Americana gallery on his website. This particular painting depicts a horse-drawn wagon toting three adults and one small child, driving down a country road. A farmhouse, white with a wrap-around porch, can be seen in the center of this painting as well as cows, a stereotypical red barn with a grain silo, a garden to the side of the house and in the foreground, a blackberry patch. There appear to be neighboring farms as well as a river and some storm clouds rolling in. 

I may not have even noticed the blackberries had they not been a part of the title of this piece. Although they are painted beautifully, they do not immediately grab my attention and do not seem to be the focus of this painting. I think the focus of the painting is more on the farm house with the side garden and the red barn behind it. My focus is also drawn to the dark stormy clouds in the background which, to me, have the most significance. 

I found this piece of artwork to be very thought provoking. When I first look at this painting, I feel like the artist was trying to depict "every day life" on the farm. The cows are grazing, the people are traveling home, and the weather appears to be mild at the moment. The storm clouds rolling in make me think the artist was trying to point out how the farm can change so rapidly. The 'unexpected' will prevail with each new season. One year you may get an excellent crop, the next year you may barely scrape by. Weather, infestation, climate, temperature, all can play a part in the success or failure of a crop. As far as the painting depicts, it would seem that the artist is saying "As of today, all is well on the farm."

Curlee, Walt. Appalachian Blackberry Patch Farm Landscape. 2007. Digital Brush and Wacom Board. Rural Americana. Walt Curlee Fine Art. Homestead. Web. 31 July 2015. <http://www.waltcurleeart.com>.