Transition

36 x 34" original oil

sold

This seascape has been almost finished for a while, but the wave was a major problem. I photographed the "finished" painting four times, each time convinced that now the wave was right, but it didn't last and the wave was repainted again and again and again. I hate going through that process, but I love the finished product. It works. I can look at this painting and put myself in it, which is my gauge of success. The wave has movement and weight, and I can feel sun on my right side and the gust blowing the spray left.

So, I fussed between degrees of how much of a corner was on that left side. It needed something of a corner because without it the wave lost all lift, but it also needed to slope to the left and bridge the composition. I went back and forth looking for the right mix of each and I sure had a hard time finding it. The left side of the wave was totally overworked, over-painted, wiped off and repainted, scrutinized, and redone a further three times.

After all that, it's better. The finished surface is so rich with texture and layers of color.

Life lesson: The painting is better having transitioned through each phase of this dilemma. It was not fun at all. I've got a headache, backache, and I'm burned out. BUT look at that wave. I think it's beautiful.