Painting of the Day, October 16, 2011

By Donna Poulton

Harold “Buck” Weaver, Landscape—Cloud Patterns, 1935, oil on canvas, 34 x 36 in., Private Collection. Credit: Painters of Utah’s Canyons and Deserts

Many of Buck Weaver’s paintings are suggestive of his training with Maynard Dixon, but Landscape—Cloud Patterns reveals a more modern approach. The strong, vertically wedge-shaped clouds are perpendicular to the natural geometry of the horizontal landscape. The landmasses have been reduced in minimalist terms to their bare essentials, suggesting a breakthrough in his artistry.

This study for Cloud Design is a wonderful example of an artist’s decision making around design, but also around color.  The hues in this study are slightly warmer and less monochromatic.  His decision to limit the colors on his final canvas advanced the drama, clarity, and minimalism of his finished work.  Thank you Logan for submitting this painting by Weaver.

Harold “Buck” Weaver, Study for Cloud Design, Oil, 18 x 20 in. (inscribed to Milford Zornes verso), Collection of Logan Hagege