Surge (Beginning Stage)
The rhythm and blues of nature, the beating of the waves against the shore, the cymbal crash of surge on the sand…what can be more renewing of spirit? Here is the underlayer to a very simple seascape. I took “wave photos” many years ago at the edge of the Atlantic on the Outerbanks, and this came from one of them. Here I was going for the big gesture of moving water, and few strokes.
Wedding Bouquet
This past September, I was at a very lovely wedding celebration; every detail had a creative and careful touch. This bouquet exuded beauty and fragrance to the round table where I sat, and fortunately, my birthday month and day made me a winner to take it home. What better prize for a painter?!
Garden Cascade (Final Stage)
“You cannot get it right until you get it wrong.” I can tell you that these words of an advanced painter are so true. If you compare today’s post to the previous two, you can see many adjustments made to reach this final stage. The painting reminds me of the day in the bright sun when several of us admired this rich red and white foliage.
Garden Cascade (Second Stage)
The painting of yesterday’s post is now further developed into more layers of darks and lights. Here you can see that the “punch” of the scene will be the blacks of the figure, enveloped in the whites of the flowers. It is still very rough, and at this stage, it is easy to change things if needed.
Garden Cascade (First Stage)
Painting is a process of layering on color. As seen in the first stage of Garden Cascade, the darker tones often go first; the highlights later. So here is the very rough first layer. It shows some decisions about placement and color choice, as well as some thought about dark and light patterns that will help carry the eye around the piece. Notice there is no attempt here at a Michelangelo drawing. The first stage is often a “tryout” for testing the patterns.
