Here's what's on my easel this week! It's an oil on 24x36 canvas; large for me! I've been posting my progress on my Facebook page and hopefully will finish it up this weekend!
This is the view from Torrance/Redondo Beach sidewalk. It's where I grew up. Thirty years of my life were spent there, actually thirty one if you count the year I moved back. I miss it…a lot. It's hard when you grow up in such a beautiful place being able to roller skate to the beach, spending the whole day there 'til the sunsets. I have the best memories from this place! It's my home, and always will be. I'm displaced right now, in the mountains, so far from the ocean. How can you miss a place so much it hurts? I feel the same way about Hawaii though and I didn't grow up there. Must be the ocean, it gives me life!
Anyway, as you can see, this painting has a very deep meaning to me. I could almost paint it from memory. I'm mostly using a brush for this one, with some areas needing a palette knife for a nice edge. The flowers in the foreground are from blooming ice-plant (which brings back memories of writing on the sidewalk with it. Did you ever done that?)
The blooms are a beautiful magenta and bright yellow (which I haven't added yet). Ice-plant is not the most aesthetic of plants but I'm trying to achieve an impressionistic feel to it so that it's more appealing.
The sand in the above stage was to saturated in color so I toned it down adding some ultra marine blue and more white, to the mix. This set it back further and made the hill come forward. I feel the hill is too dark though so I'l lightened it up with some a little lighter but saturated color mixed with areas of greys.
This was stage one. I toned the canvas with orange since it would be a predominantly blue piece, this would give the painting some warmth and unity. I sketched in the scene very roughly with a brush.
I usually use a darker color but this one worked.
The lines aren't visible in the end so it didn't matter.
This stage was done with acrylics.
So, this is what I'll be doing this weekend! What are you up to?
Jennifer
4 comments:
It is turning out really nice Jennifer. Coastal landscape paintings were always a favorite at the gallery and very popular with locals and tourists.
It's very interesting to see how you start the work; how you conceptualize it and know what colors you'll be using. Before I read your narrative on this post, I was awestruck by that stretch of sand; I love its saturation of rich, warm color. This is a lovely painting; cheery, glowy; I don't know how to describe it except that's a beach that beckons! I think it's probably because you painted it with love and longing; you literally painted your heart out on this one. Great job as usual. Like I've said, Jennifer, and I feel I can say this as I'm a repeat buyer of your work over a few years now, you just keep getting better and better as an artist and I love every single thing of yours I own; your paintings have enhanced my home and soothe my eye.
Thank you Enzie! That's good to hear about coastal being the popular, but I can understand it. I love the ocean and would want it hanging in my home too!
Thank you Vicki! Your comments have brightened my day! The sand is still warm but I had to gray it down a lot because it don't look far enough away. It's down the hill so I had to create a sense of distance. I am putting my heart into this one for sure! I just need to add some birds and work on a few other things but should be able to finish this weekend!:)
Post a Comment