River -  Without even being finished it is very moving.   I like the strong colors against the white.  You know, leaving it unfinished is an idea either.... leaves one wondering what war was all for.  Very nice.

Maggie

Thank you Maggie...we like  history at our house... my oldest son knows alot and we talk about it... (him in the picture). Most wars were started by a few and embroiled thousands or more of innocents...for causes that were much less noble than the propaganda told them...but even occassionally war is better than the alternative (like living under the Nazi's.) With two hundred and thirty odd years gone by since our nation's Revolution...I expect we are inclined to not fully understand the tirany that was commonplace in Europe (and everywhere!) in earlier centuries and how much the new 'Americans' did not want it following them here...

Most of them thought of themselves as Englishmen/women or had come from even more oppresive countries...but the fresh air of freedom for a generation or two...just could not be handed back I think.

Thanks for your nice comment...hard to critique a painting partially done I know...so am greatful...I thought putting a few of them up might help me get started back into painting again. I am not always confident in my process...so hope people will talk about theirs a bit.

Marianne: thanks for the good eye...I do see what you are saying...I think that when I fix the fence/tree line in the middle ground it will help alot (does angle downward to right and shouldn't). But it is good to talk about these points that can make or break your picture...putting them into words helps us to see them more easily in the future.

Thanks too Leon! Yes Bucks County, Pa. is a lovely part of the country. The Quakers settled it in the late 1600's and it is sometimes called "the Peaceable Kingdom" after Edward Hicks' famous primitive paintings done here. It is gently rolling hills hemmed in by the Delaware River...and though I'm afraid civilization has found it...it still can take your breath away some days... having four distinct seasons to look at and enjoy. Maybe I'll find a place to post some of the photography I've taken over the years...I'm not a pro but you don't have to be that good to get beautiful pictures here. My avatar is a photo of the apple orchard our development was built in...they left a lot of the trees...beautiful in the spring!

This painting is based on one of the photos I took of our family reinacting at a Colonial Christmas reinactment we used be part of...our guys as a result know how to shoot Pennsylvania Long Rifles and 6 pound cannon!

...thanks Jim!

River/michele