OK - OK - OK so I can't stay away from my easel!!!! I'm obsessed with painting - Tis me own ting!!!!
Sooooooo I said to myself ----- "Self - it was suggested that you do a BIGGER dunes painting so why don't you just do one!!!!" This piece is done on 12 x 16 heavy linen paper wet into wet using my BIG TVH brush ( I love that brush ) and all the dune foliage and dunes/snow was done with my trusty fan brush. This piece was done very quickly with a lot of emotion - expression and spontaneity of color and form. OK - OK - OK "SAME OLD --- SAME OLD"
Any whoooooooooooooooo - I shall continue with my blah-blah-blah and hope some of you out there find it interesting as compared to repetitive!!! :>(
In the smaller 5x7 pieces, one does not have to think so much about the quantity of sky vs ocean vs dunes vs grasses. I mean how much can you put onto a 5x7 surface!!!! IT IS SMALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
When you increase the size of a painting these question come into mind - some people plan these things ahead - like the sky - ocean - ground will each take up 1/3 of the surface. HOLY CRAP that foresight would bore me to death!!!!!!
The only measurement fact that I take into consideration is to NEVER cut the painting in half either vertically or horizontally!!!! This is a big NO - NO!!!! The height of this piece is 12 inches - if I put the horizon line exactly at 6 inches, it would look like CRAP!
Sooooo with that in mind, I decide on a high horizon line to accomplish a couple of things:
1. CREATING THE SENSE OF DISTANCE
2. AS MUCH ROOM AS I WANT FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE OCEAN AND LAND
I still have to be aware of the 1/2 way 6 inch invisible horizontal NO-NO
OK - Let's begin
WOW!!!!!! a blank canvas - how lucky is that!!!!
This is how the 12 x 16 sheet looks setup on my easel Mr. ED.
Mr. Ed asked to be seen again - he is such a HAM!!!
OK - let's see who pays attention-----the lady in the green V-neck sweater - 4th row center seat (wow) what is going to be my next step?
Correct you are - for those of you who could not hear her she said I was going to throw in the sky wet into wet with my TVH brush!!!
OK - the gentleman in the last row first seat on my right - the fellow with the outdated sport coat - HEY no need to get upset - I'm just saying..........
What is next to be done?
WHOOPS-------I wonder why he left the room??? Hmmmmmm---was it something I said?
OK next is that all important horizon line (KEEP IT AWAY FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE PAPER!)
I also throw in some ocean with some minor wave action as it is winter. You'll notice how the ocean is darkest at the horizon line and gradually gets lighter as in proceeds forward. This is how it is in real life and the main reason is the bottom of the ocean (sand) is more visible through the water as the ocean comes in-land as compare to further away. Your line of sight further away is looking across the top of the water whereas up close your line of sight is looking INTO the water.
OK next we have the beginning of the sand dunes and the winter grasses. No magic to this - it is applied in almost spastic fashion with upward staccato strokes with the upward FLICK of the wrist to give that WISPY - MOVEMENT of the grasses responding to a slight breeze. The bristles of the fan brush just sort of KISS the linen surface of the paper. Damn this is starting to sound like a soap opera!!!
ENOUGH!!!!
I forgot to get some close ups so I'll be back in one minute with some photos to finish up this presentation - sit tight--------
WHEW - now that only took about a minute - hold on a moment as I need to catch my breath!
15-16-17-18-19-20
OK I'm all set now
"Winter Dunes No. II"
12 x 16 on heavy linen paper
for your visual enjoyment
TAAAAAA- DAAAAAA
Once again I like to keep my "I want to see closeups" blog buddies happy - admit it you really gotta love these folks!!!! :<)
The all important horizon line
The winter dunes and winter grasses
Well my friends - I had fun with this and I hope I made the presentation interesting for youse guys - as you can see, as much as I do not like to do much thinking (headaches and all) there is some minimal thought one needs to put in and after that PICK UP GOBS & BLOBS OF PAINT AND ATTACK WITH WILD ABANDONMENT AND GUSTO!
Life is too short so you need to trip over yourself once in a while - I do it everyday and I gotta tell Ya - it's a lot of fun!!! Walking in a straight line is SOOOOOOOOO BORING!!!!!!!
JR :>)
