Searching for rhythms in the landscape

I’ve been visualizing creating dreamy, atmospheric paintings lately inspired by place and experience. So how does one even begin that endeavor?

When in doubt, go back to basics. For this project, the first item on my creative agenda is collecting compositions from environments I’ve felt, smelled, and witnessed first hand. So exciting! That means travel, adventure, exploration - which are essential to my art practice overall.

In order to manipulate a scene, and add your own touch to it, a strong foundation is required. A road map that will be there to guide the playful, creative endeavors to come. I searched my brain and the internet for a compositional technique that made the most sense for my goal. And notans came to mind. So what the heck is a notan? Yeah, I feel you. I don’t think it’s even in the English dictionary! But it should be because if art elements were music, notans would be the drumbeat, the rhythm, and the soul of a design.

Notan structure is the light and dark harmony within an image, a Japanese term that refers to the balance of light and dark elements. Regardless of color or subject matter, a strong notan structure gives an impression of beauty, aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Therefore, if you want to create a painting or drawing that engages your viewer - remember the notan.

If you are interested in practicing with notan structure, I highly suggest visiting this article at virtualartacademy.com. It’s the most comprehensive guide I’ve found while searching the topic online.

Above are some of my plein air sketches with preference on the notan design of the landscape.

And this little painting is my first pass at altering the edges, and painting a gradation of the light source in order to begin my journey of creating atmospheric, dreamy landscapes.

I can’t wait to share how these develop over time with more travels, experience, and experimentation!