Recess at the Cherryvale Schoolhouse is a painting by Anne Gifford which was uploaded on October 7th, 2013.
Recess at the Cherryvale Schoolhouse
I have lived within a two mile radius of the old Cherryvale schoolhouse near Marshall, Colorado for the past 32 years. I've driven, run, walked, and... more
by Anne Gifford
Title
Recess at the Cherryvale Schoolhouse
Artist
Anne Gifford
Medium
Painting - Watercolor Overlay
Description
I have lived within a two mile radius of the old Cherryvale schoolhouse near Marshall, Colorado for the past 32 years. I've driven, run, walked, and bicycled past this old building several times a week. I could just imagine how it was in its heyday, with children's happy voices arising above the songs of the meadowlarks and other peaceful sounds of the surrounding countryside.
I started "Recess at the Cherryvale Schoolhouse" by crawling on my stomach to get underneath the fence which surrounds the property so as to capture a photograph of the exact vantage point that I envisioned. I then did a painting of the building from my photo. Next, I visualized some merry children, dressing them in old fashioned clothing as I painted tiny portraits of each child. I added three more figures that would climb the fence in the background.
I then scanned all of the paintings into my computer, and placed the paintings of the children atop of the painting of the schoolhouse. After experimenting with the positions and sizes of the children, I finally adjust the transparency of the figures so that they appear to be fading. Voila!
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October 7th, 2013
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Viewed 5,504 Times - Last Visitor from Wilmington, DE on 10/04/2023 at 4:18 AM
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Comments (32)
Kathy M Krause
What an incredible painting Anne! That was a fantastic idea to place kids at the school dressed in older cloths! Exceptional! L/F
Linda Lees
You visited my school photograph and I'm paying a return visit to your school painting. This is so lovely Anne! And thank you for sharing your process of making this wonderful image. fav
Beverly Harrison
I've traveled past this building for decades, loving everything about it, and you captured it perfectly. As always! I love the Marshall tributes. This one in particular. Beautifully done Anne!
Anne Gifford replied:
It means a lot to me that you like my Marshall paintings, Bev. You were painting in the same room with me when I painted this one at Ghost Ranch. Such sweet memories......Thank you for the comment.
Hazel Holland
Oh Anne, this is such a gorgeous and magical scene from the past!!! Love your explanation of how you achieved this amazing artistry! Thank you for sharing! L/F
Judi Dressler
So wonderfully well done, as with everything you paint, Anne! And thanks for that explanation; I wondered how you did it. I also have ridden my bike past that schoolhouse a zllion times, and it just occured to me... I sure hope it's still standing. If so, next time, I will stop and imagine children playing in the yard!
Anne Gifford replied:
And standing it is, thank God. What an icon this building is, cherished by all. Thank you for the comment, Judi!
Hanne Lore Koehler
Love this fantastic watercolor painting, Anne! Very ingenious layering of images to compose this gorgeous artistic story! L/F
Deana Markus
Gorgeous! This caught my eye, such a peaceful scene. And then.... then I saw the children. Enchanting!!!
Yoonhee Ko
OMG!! This is magical, Anne!! What a great overlay processing!! So~ very beautifully done!! Such a lovely work!!
Kendall Kessler
Beautiful! I also like to paint old structures. L
Anne Gifford replied:
They are fun, aren't they! I love history.....thank you for the comment, Kendall!
Malanda Warner
Anne, very creative concept and excellent portrayal of days gone by and the remnants of history that are too quickly forgotten! LF
Anne Gifford replied:
I appreciate your description of my painting, Malanda, thank you. What you said was exactly my intent.
Nikolyn McDonald
Oh, I love the addition of the children playing here . . . so evocative. Congratulations on the sale of this lovely painting.
Myrna Walsh
Beautifully done! There is a very well known artist that does a lot of this kind of stuff. I love it. I bought the stuff to do it with but am not talented enough to get good results. Congrats to you. You certainly have the talent.
Anne Gifford replied:
I confess that I overlay several paintings in the computer to get the effect :) Thank you for your comment!
Lorraine Baum
Geez you do some cool stuff! What a great idea, and so well realized in this beautiful painting! L/F/Pin
Lois Bryan
Anne this is a fascinating exercise in time-travel, because that is, in essence, what you did ... and what you are encouraging your visitors to do as well. I think you've caught that whateveritis that makes me love old barns and old crumbly houses ... but you've done your homework and are bringing them back to life. Beautiful in every way ... right down to the heart!!!! l/f and t
Anne Gifford replied:
I so appreciate your insightful comment, Lois! It makes me feel good to know that I have gotten my "message" across...you have described exactly what I was attempting to accomplish!
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