Once: Part III

30" x 40" oil

This painting is almost finished. I am pleased with today's progress. I leveled out the shoreline, evened out some proportions, and fine-tuned some colors. All little stuff, but I can tell a difference before and after. Hopefully it gets finished next painting session.

a detail

Roll: Part I

18" x 36" oil

Roll is an interesting painting. It's the first time I've shown this much wave, but I couldn't get away from that fabulous turquoise, the linear qualities of the composition, and how the wave cuts diagonally through the space. This painting's got a long way to go...I hope you like it so far.

Thanks to Bonnie-Jean for sending me the photo.

Once: Part II

I worked on Once some more today. I added sky at the horizon, darker waves and worked the wash and sand. The size of this painting is making it take longer (it's 30" x 40") but it is wonderful to stand next to. There is so much paint on the lively surface.
Let me explain the title choice for this piece: the word "once" brings two fitting things to mind for me. One, it brings up a feeling of fleetingness and beginning, and two, it sounds like a memory.

a view of the beast on my studio floor (while the drips in the foreground dry flat)

Once: Part I

30" x 40" oils

This painting is massive, and there is so, so much paint on the surface. I kept having to get more and more paint out as I mixed and applied; it was unreal.

I played volleyball this morning, came home and did some organizing for a family reunion, but the whole time I had this nagging in me to start this painting. It is so large that it was intimidating to begin, but once I got out the paints, I was home and doing my favorite thing.

It is a scene from the Dominican Republic, which I visited a year ago. I got up early before the sun came up and took many pictures, ironically only a few of the water. There are some really good things happening with the reflective, steely blues. The sand needs some love though - I'll fix it next time.

No title ideas are coming to my mind. None. Something will come. I'm open for suggestions, but I like short, non-cheesy titles.
Enjoy the reel below, showing you the guts of what I did today.

Gold

23" x 27" oils
sold
Gold has a beautiful warmth to it, and the paint on the surface is very thick. There are lots of places to get lost in the patterns of knifework and brushstrokes - my favorite thing about looking at original art. I listened to a song called Gold by Interference while painting this. Thanks Amelia for burning me the CD. It's a great song - check it out. I think the soundtrack won an Oscar or something...

Gold: Part II

I love painting, and any day I paint is a good day. The studio really is my favorite place to be, especially since someone invented the iPod and Bose docking station. Anyways...

*sigh* I'm tired. I'm looking at this painting right now and am not in love with it. I was really into it earlier today, but now I'm not so sure. I've come to that frustrating place again, and that place is stuck between "seeing the painting finished in my mind" and "seeing it finished on the easel." I'm a fast painter, but sometimes I wish I were even faster. "Patience, grasshopper." I know, I know...

One thing I am COMPLETELY in love with, however, are horizontal lines. Give me lots of them. I love them all.

GOLD. Beautiful, warm sun.