by LAYLA GRANT-SIMMONDS
This is a liberal arts school! There are so many talented artists right here in our high school. One beautiful painting is Main by Elliot Ziebarth. This painting was made by a junior in the first trimester of this 2021-2022 school year. Elliot made Main out of acrylic paints which is an art material that is like oil paint but is thinner and takes less time to dry. This painting was inspired by his love for Maine and its plainness and simplicity. Maine is one of Ziiebarth’s favorite places to visit. Ziebarth visited Maine last summer and went on a Fly Fishing trip, which is a passion of his. When he goes Fly Fishing he gets to clear his head, which adds to his love of Maine. His friend took the reference picture of this landscape back in Maine and Elliot felt like it captured his love for it so he got permission to use it as his reference picture. While making this picture he wanted to add more detail but James French, the visual arts teacher, advised him not to. This was a good decision because Maine clearly turned out well without the added detail.
Ziebarth’s landscape painting is very memorable. It was composed with so much emotion and movement, from the long grass surrounding the fence, to the big clouds in the sky. This is a very well-planned piece of art. The colors give off a moody but sentimental feeling. The desaturated color choice works very well with the settings as they really pull the attention to the house. The color choice also gives off this very calming feeling, it may also be the desertedness and tranquility of the house, maybe even both. The grass around the fence is very well detailed; the distinction in texture and size in contrast to the rest of the grass is very evident. You can also sense the motion in the wind by the direction of the grass and the brushstrokes that Elliot Zieberth used. Even the brushstrokes in the hills and clouds in the background convey the weather very well.
The shadows on the house are amazing. A lot of attention to detail is shown in this area. Especially the tall, seemingly wooden pole that casts shadows onto the home. The shadows add a lot of depth and realness to Maine. As if someone could knock on the door and the owner would actually answer through this painting. Although there is no visible door, it could be on the other side of the painting. The perspective of Maine makes the viewer assume this is the backyard because of how large the field is and how close to the edge the house appears to be on the other side of the land.
The trees in the background add to the tranquility of Ziebarth’s Maine. In the far distance there seems to be a forest of large trees bordering the closest mountains to the viewer. The mountains have such depth that it seems like they could go on for tens of miles. The far mountains and large trees makes the piece of land, along with the house, seem even larger in comparison. This could be a house located in a very secluded area. The house is very big but it gives off the impression that either an older married couple lives there, or a small family. This is coming from the sereness of the landscape as well. It feels sentimental, maybe a house that Elliot Ziebarth values a lot, or perhaps a house that he visits often. Possibly, this house just grabbed his attention whilst looking for painting inspiration. Either way, this was a good landscape choice for him. His skills compliment this landscape very well.
If Maine were to have a sound it would be meditative outside background noises. Seagulls chirping in the background,consistent wind noises. Not too much to overpower the bird sounds. There would also be water noises coming from the body of water surrounding the land. Not harsh sounds, just long trickles of water down a stream. Maybe if you listened to it long enough, you might even forget it’s there. Just get used to the soothing sounds.
By comparing and contrasting Elliot Ziebarth’s message and meaning behind Maine, and how it could be interpreted by people, I feel his message was well sent. His sentimental feelings toward Maine and Fly Fishing translated through his art.