Coastal Painting in Progress

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

Misty Hanalei Bay

no longer available 

I just finished this one for another workshop from Richard Robinson. I'm really enjoying doing his workshops and am learning new techniques! I also started using walnut oil instead of linseed oil. Walnut oil is non toxic so I love that! The workshop focused on little figures in landscapes being made with simple brush strokes. 

If you've ever been to Kauai you know how misty it can get over on the North side of the island. It doesn't matter whether it's rainy or sunny, though...it's always magical. 

I've been selling a few paintings and prints these last few weeks. I hope to keep up this momentum 

in the coming new year! 

For the new year I plan on keeping up with the workshops and

getting in some more galleries and boutiques, but I also want to get back to doing more paintings like I was doing when I started. Think more floral still lives with a whimsy feel (and more watercolors Vicki). I noticed I've been getting away from florals and whimsy feel. I guess the workshop and comparing my work to other's is what's happening and while it's good to improve my skills I don't want to lose my expressive touch, which is where I started. I'm working on another Venice, Italy piece right now and am conscious of this thought. I think it's looking a little Monet like. 

But you'll have to tell me what you think! 

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Ok..I'll add more later:)

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! 

Can you guess...

New Painting on Etsy