Secrets to Composition

introduction

Getting Started

Formula 1: The Cross Format

Formula 2: The L Format

Formula 3: The Balance Scale Format

Formula 4: The U Format

Formula 5: The O Format

Formula 6: The Diagonal Format

Formula 7: The Pattern Format

Formula 8: The S Format

Formula 9: The Triangle Format

Formula 10: The Steelyard Format

Formula 11: The Three-spot Format

Formula 12: The Overlapping Shapes Format

Formula 13: The Radiating Lines Format

Format 14: The Tic-Tac-Toe Format

Presenting and Critiquing Your Work

Final Thoughts

Index

Bibliography

Barbara Nuss, a nationally recognized oil painter of landscapes, finds constant inspiration in the nearby gentle rolling hills, gracefully aging structures, picturesque creeks, and historic towns that reveal the heart and soul of her home state of Maryland. Through both plein air and studio paintings, she gives a contemporary response to the landscape with consideration to environmental issues in the still undeveloped areas. To achieve this, she primarily uses oil as the medium to create expressive and pleasing paintings that will last a lifetime or more.
Barbara credits her artistic development to many sources, including her B.F.A. from Syracuse University, the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore, various workshop instructors, her experience as a graphic artist and illustrator, instructive art books, her students, camaraderie with other artists, and her active involvement with professional art organizations.
Many of her landscape paintings were exhibited in the prestigious Arts for the Parks in Jackson Hole, WY; she won Best Landscape Award, Best of America Exhibition, NOAPS (National Oil & Acrylic Painters' Society); and her work has been in two Salon International exhibits, International Guild of Realism Salon show, and numerous Oil Painters of America regional and national exhibits. She has participated in many plein air competitions, in which she has won numerous awards.
Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States from Palm Desert, California to Chatham, Massachusetts and internationally in Paris, Amsterdam, Ankara, Slovakia, and the Vatican. Her paintings are in collections worldwide.
She is an active member of the Salmagundi Club New York; National Oil & Acrylic Painters' Society; Oil Painters of America; International Guild of Realism; the Baltimore Watercolor Society; the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association; American Women Artists; Women Artists of the West, and the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, where she was president for ten years.
Barbara currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland with Cammie, her aging cat. Visit her website at www.barbaranuss.com where you can see more of her work and sign up for her newsletter or contact her via email at barbara@barbaranuss.com