Old Country Barn

Late sunlight reaches a red barn at the edge of a worn farmyard. Years of weather have faded the boards unevenly, and a broad tree on the left shades the lean-to. Hay bales are stacked under cover, and a wheelbarrow waits beside the open doorway. Hand tools rest against the wall as if they were put down at the end of the day's work.

The red boards are the biggest area, and their vertical lines and faded patches make them easier than they look: follow the grain up from the ground and watch where the paint has worn thin. The shingled roof is next, with its long straight edge against the sky. The hay bales, the wheelbarrow and the tools give the middle a few clear shapes, and the wooden fence on the left crosses the grass in long diagonal rails. Leave the dry grass of the yard and the leaves of the tree for last.