Back to the Beach

This week, I took a break from painting people and fabrics to go back to my love of landscapes of the water.

I used the technique of blocking in color with lights, mediums, and darks first. The darks (the sky & blue houses) are colored with a wash of crimson, green, and ultramarine blue. The mediums with just crimson and green. The lights are bright orange.

The bright orange is what is responsible for this really lovely sky. My peers came up to me as I was painting and told me to just "Stop". They loved the moody sky.

I also removed the stilts that the houses were sitting on and some people from the background. My teacher and I thought the stilts would complicate the picture and pull emphasis in where we didn't want it.

I also began, at home, a picture I want to put up on my wall. It is based on two pictures I found. One has a bike that looks like one I own, only it had flowers in the basic. Another had a bike that I didn't like but the water was in the background. Both are similar to a pillow I own, so I thought I'd make my own version.

As you can see, I have the darks of the sea and grass laid in. I also have the brights of the basket and tires. My next step will be working on sand and then the grassy-to-be-fenced area.

My husband saw this and didn't understand that this was just the beginning. He said that the bike should be a little brighter. :-)