Lake House

This abstract landscape is equal parts real and fantasy, meaning it should not be taken literally but symbolically even though parts of it appear realistic and familiar. I tried to capture the essence of the actual lake house this painting will hopefully occupy by placing a representation of it directly in a fictitious lake-scape. The painting is therefore an artful (and harmless) play on the notion of a "lake house", even though boat enthusiasts and jet skiers would not appreciate this kind of obstacle in real life.

It is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice; a place to rest, relax and  look forward to.  

This symbolic lake house is the focal point between sky, water and trees.  Its position in the lower third of the painting draws your view down from the radiant sky where house meets water.  The house is rendered realistically and precisely, in part because it is for the architect who designed it, but also to heighten its contrast with the more abstract landscape setting.  This creates visual tension without sacrificing harmony, given the impracticality of actually placing a house directly in a lake.