Caribou on the Move

The first area I tackled after the sky was the foreground tundra. I opted to paint it with loose broad strokes rather than "noodling" detail. Hints of red pop for the fall colors along with other complimentary notes. I felt for this kind of piece that if the foreground had more definition, it would detract from the caribou. You don't know how tempted I was to go in and paint more detail but I resisted and I think the painting will be better for it.
Next I began with the far right caribou and started working my way left. The lead caribou does not have a discernable eye. I don't think with this loose treatment he needed one.

Editing is a tricky game for artists. How much do we "say" in our paintings and do we let the viewer finish the story? Will the viewer's eye see the movement, feel the story, hear the hooves sweep across the tundra? How much detail do we need in order to have the painting "read" well?

I have come to conclusion that the answer is different for each of my paintings. It depends on the story.

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