The above painting was painted from a reference photo book for artists. These old railway bridges dot our landscape in the midwest. Many of them are not in use any longer and are chained off and have signs warning people not to walk on them. There are others that are still kept up and used daily. I remember a time that I could lay in bed at night and hear train whistles in the distance. Once in awhile, in the wintertime, I can still hear that occasional train to the east of me. It is quite distant. It requires that winter “hush”, when snow covers the ground, in order for the sound to be carried here. It always takes me back. This also reminded me of that movie “Stand By Me”.
Leslie White 
36 Comments
This is beautiful, Leslie! I especially love the water! We have a train track through Eufaula. Our house is 5 miles (as a crow flies) away, but the only thing between us is water. The lake carries the train sounds to our house. Love it.
Thank you, Beth. I had to get up and back off of this in order to see if I was getting that value of the water correctly. Painting it was like laying in broken color in all different shapes. I still like it better viewed from a distance. Sort of backs up that idea of a distant train whistle. You are so lucky! I can hear it now just through your description.
You keep painting all the things I love! First, I love the bridge and the reflections, beautiful careful light, and all the leaves perfectly painted… with the negative spaces (contrasting values) guiding the eye to the bridge. There’s nothing like that sound echoing across the land, even more dramatic near the mountains. I can hear birdies chirping and a breeze rustling the leaves! I love it
Those leaves are sort of squiggled in like pointillism, Scott. Instead of dots I use squiggles and drop some water in them from time to time. 🙂 But thankyou for that comment because it is great to know it has that effect of each leaf textured in. Oh, I can imagine what a train whistle must sound like echoing through the mountains. Wow! Cool thought. Thank you for making my day with this comment!
This is lovely Leslie. I rememder the scene in “Stand by Me”. This seems calmer. Then again there aren’t any boys making a mad dash!
Ha! You are right about that. In that movie I kept getting that feeling of vast and forested space being interrupted by the journey of the boys. Thank you, Susan!
I love the water, too. Great painting!
Thank you, Nuno!
Very evocative painting, Leslie. We don’t hear trains around here, but the house I lived in for a year of grad school at Purdue had tracks right across the road. Eventually I just slept through the sound. And it’s hard to believe that “Stand by Me” was written by Steven King. It was the first time I ever heard that he did other things besides horror flicks.
Stephen King is an author I read. I picked up one of his first novels years ago and have read everything but that series of the Gunslinger. I have my favorites, but I like his characters. I am fascintaed with who they are and how they handle the situations he places them in. “Stand By Me” came from a story titled “The Body”. They did a good job following the storyline when they made the movie. Thank you, Ruth!
Gorgeous,k Gorgeous, Gorgeous! This could be paired with your earlier post of a bridge. I love the blocks of foliage, the reflections in the water and the overall light. Did I mention it was gorgeous?
Thank you, so much, Carol! I must be on a bridge “kick”. Really it is practice on water and getting enough contrast between foliage and the water, etc. Most of our rivers around here are a murky green so it changes the colors of the reflections and I wanted to see if I could do that and it still look like water. My biggest challenge was getting those dark areas of foliage to read right. They were black in the reference and I didn’t want to do that.
I have seen such bridges running through lush green landscape in old English movies and I have always felt it would be a treat to experience such a journey. Your work has given me the same pleasure of such an experience. This will make a lovely companion to the previous bridge painting, impeccable beauty they have!
I rode a train, once, from midwest to Vermont. It was a real treat. I had my own little room where the bed pulled down and it had a little sink, etc. I slept really well, too, listening to the clickety-clack of the wheels on the rails and feeling the gentle rocking of the car. Thank you, so much, Padmaja!
Absolutely stunning piece, Leslie. I loved that movie too. Those autumn leaves, water, and bridge draw me right in and make me wish I was there myself.
Thank you, Sherry. I also loved the music in that movie.
So ein schönes Bild ich wünsche eine Gute Nacht und einen schönen neuen Wochenstart.Gruß Gislinde
Thank you, Gislinde! 🙂
Wünsche dir eine gute glückliche Woche lieber Gruß und einen schönen Tag Gislinde
Stunning work leslie! Love the impressionist look… and wonder if you can see at all now after painting all those dots!
Hi Ryan,
Thank you. I know. I know. Lots of foliage in that one.
Wow, another spectacular bridge! So quiet and beautiful. Wonderful color. 🙂
Thankyou, Cindy.
This is beautiful – I love the colours – they make me think of lazy summer early evenings. I love those bridges – they do seem particularly American as I think I’ve only ever seen them in movies!
Thank you, Nicola! 🙂
So lovely, Leslie, alive and vibrant. If this bridge was still in use, it must be a wonderful journey.
It would be a wonderful journey! Thank you, Hannekekoop!
O Leslie—Yes the bridge does remind of Stand By Me— what a dot to connect indeed.
Hello Water Painter.
Thank you, Eva! Since I’ve mentioned that connection to that story, the song “Everyday” by Buddy Holly keeps running through my head. I think it was one of the songs that ran in and out through the movie.
This one? You got me curious and I couldn’t place the song until I listened to it.
Enjoy,
That’s it!!!!!! They played it several times throughout the movie. Thank you for adding it to my comment section, Eva. You Rock!
I’m happy to rock your ears for a few minutes, Leslie.
You know, it is a good song. Such a voice too. Hmm.
I’ve always loved how you do foliage! Such great effects! This is a stunning piece!
Thank you, Isabelle!
beautiful art work, thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Ssgt Leslie!