Notes on Painting ~ Rhythm

North of Here, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

Rhythm is as necessary in a picture as pigment; it is as much a part of painting as of music.
~Walter J. Phillips~

​I am thinking about rhythm as I continue with my posts here considering my paintings as they relate to the elements of design. Besides music, lots of things have rhythm. I enjoy the rhythm of the seasons, a rhythm to my days, and the calming rhythms of ocean waves. And I enjoy adding pattern, through repeated elements or motifs, into my painting compositions to create a visual rhythm. Repetition is probably the easiest way to express rhythm in painting by repeating any of the design elements throughout a composition.  Repetition can suggest movement through a visual tempo and provide a path for the eye to follow.

Read More