Roadside Barn

First of all, constructive criticism is absolutely welcome here. I appreciate any cc/tips given and I thank you all in advance.
Well, I am about 3 weeks into my great Bob Ross adventure, and I have completed 3 more paintings, #4, 5, and 6 I ever painted. I chose S11e12 ‘Roadside Barn’ this time around. I used 16 X 20 canvas boards. This is the first time I have attempted just about every element in this painting: foliage, clouds, water, grass, bushes, barn …
As I am a complete beginner, I have decided that I will paint each painting I attempt 3 times, while my many mistakes, oops, I mean happy accidents are fresh in my mind. While learning, I am currently working with some 12 year old paints which have stiffened a bit. I have been re-softening them with oil medium and a bit of thinner as I use them.

Attempt #2 (lifetime painting #5): This one is less gruesome than attempt #1. There are actually a few things I think I improved on from Attempt #1. I like the right side of the painting way more than the left side. I thought the trees in the background and the water were not too bad for my 2nd go round. I feel as I did not leave enough dark in the background of the trees in the entire painting, so I feel the painting lacks depth. The trees on the left side of the painting are too crowded and kind of all mush together. The barn is even more hideous that the barn in #1. It is going to take a while before the palette knife and I become friends. The path/road also looks pretty crappy here.

All in all, I am not discouraged and actually excited to continue my Bob Ross journey. While deciding on my next painting, I will spend a day or so practicing barns on a practice canvas board and also a canvas full of mountains. I have made about 12 or so mountain peaks on practice boards the last few day and they are really really bad. So bad in fact that I will not even start a painting with a mountain in it until I can create a mountain that actually looks like a mountain. Getting the paint to break is very frustrating to me, but as they say, no pain, no gain. We’ll keep going till we get it right.
Thanks for reading through my lengthy post and feel free to add any comments that you feel will help me out and please be honest in your assessment. That is the only way I will get better. I have no illusions as to where I stand as a painter at the present time. I know I am way way down looking up at the light. We’ll just take it one ladder rung at a time 🙂 Happy painting everyone. Make someone smile today 🙂

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