Sunday, February 8, 2015

PAINTING RISING FROM THE ASHES


     Way too many of my paintings go into the "wait and see if you can save it" or "gesso over the whole thing immediately" bin. Here is one that is riding the fence. It was a water scene for which I could never find a resolution. It has no focal point that satisfies me, the balance and design were off and I just did not like it.
Turn on the music in the studio; it helps me get into the zone.          
SOS!
Last week I started back into plein air painting with the Vero Beach Art Club. I was ill prepared and it was cold but I did get a sketch of some yachts at our local marina while sitting in the shade of a big bridge. Needless to say I only lasted an hour in the field.

I am trying to force myself to do an abstract of just the major shapes, this may help me not get into details and small brushes way before I should. I also used a credit card to do the mast straight lines because I cannot free hand a straight line to save my soul. The painting unknowingly has transformed into a bit of an aerial view.

Originally there were 5 sea gulls in the foreground of the water scene  with no appeal. Step 1 was to obliterate the birds with a complimentary orange color. My logic is that whatever compliment I painted over it would sparkle with the orange peeking through.   
I got a beautiful rose/gray neutral by mixing Thalo green with Cad. Red with a spot of white. At least I am more aware of using neutrals in a painting and I still use the limited palette of colors.
The two on the left are stages of my painting process and the larger photo to the right is the final product. No guarantee that I will not go back to soften up the orange and add a wee bit of detail.

 
SHADOWS                                    
                                                            

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