Is this painting peaceful or lonely?
Middleton Place was a lovely way to spend my birthday! There is a kind of majesty to the view from the main walking paths towards the river. These Brodie Juniper trees were spaced individually along the walkway like lone sentinels, so I named this “Middleton Sentinel”. They were incredibly tall, and I wanted to indicate that scale with the bench nearby.
I’ve found that people’s emotional reactions to the bench are a reflection of their personality or needs at the moment. Some people find the empty bench peaceful, reflective, and deliciously quiet. If you think it feels a bit lonely, please check out Middleton Sentinel II, where I added some liveliness just for you!
Middleton Place is in Charleston, SC and is a National Historic Landmark. It’s beautiful - go visit!
Original painting by Sarah Young
Medium: oil
Size: 8”w x 10”h
Canvas depth: 5/8”
Frame: unframed
When you view a painting, you bring all of your past experiences, personality, expectations and current needs to the encounter. This is one of the reasons why different people can have vastly different reactions to the same painting.
I visited Middleton Place, an historical garden in SC, for my birthday one year and - well, I was taken with the whole place, it’s amazing - but one of the things that amazed me were these incredibly tall Brodie Juniper trees. So when I painted this tree, I put one of the many benches on the property nearby, to help show the scale. And I called it Middleton Sentinel.
Middleton Place was a lovely way to spend my birthday! There is a kind of majesty to the view from the main walking paths towards the river. These Brodie Juniper trees were spaced individually along the walkway like lone sentinels, so I named this “Middleton Sentinel II”. They were incredibly tall, and I wanted to indicate that scale with the bench nearby.
I’ve found that people’s emotional reactions to the bench are a reflection of their personality or needs at the moment. Some people find the couple on the bench to be warm and lively. If you prefer a bit of peace and quiet, please check out Middleton Sentinel, my original take on this scene!
Middleton Place is in Charleston, SC and is a National Historic Landmark. It’s beautiful - go visit!
Original painting by Sarah Young
Medium: oil
Size: 8”w x 10”h
Canvas depth: 5/8”
Frame: unframed
After I showed Middleton Sentinel to a few of my friends, I found that my friends who were introverts, enjoyed time alone, or were stressed out and needed some peace and quiet saw this painting as peaceful and relaxing. It gave them great pleasure to imagine sitting on that bench, enjoying the peace and quiet. Whereas my friends who were extroverted, wanted more social contact, or lived very active and energetic lifestyles saw the painting as lonely and maybe a little sad. Both are valid and there is no right or wrong - it’s simply a reflection of our total experience and where we are in life at this moment.
So I painted another version that I called Middle Sentinel II and added a couple sitting on the bench enjoying the view over the river, along with a few other changes. My extroverted and active friends felt this was a more warm, inviting, and lively painting.
What’s your experience with these paintings?