When not working on commissions and works for themed shows, I love painting beach and ocean themed paintings. Some are only 8″ and some 36″. All are available.
beach
Revisiting an older painting and changing style
“Fifteenth Street Access” is 24×24′ gallery wrap that I painted a year ago. For some reason, I had the urge to change it…
This is the original:
This is the revised: Broader strokes and more color!! I find the result more interesting as a painting and shows more emotion.
Textural paintings for added interest
There are times where I enjoy the challenges of three dimensional textures.
I use various palette knives to carve the scene into the modeling paste (plaster). After a day or two, I made a glaze of burnt siena, umber and micus oxide over the entire canvas and dried plaster. After that, I can finally expressionistly paint my idea with various techniques and metallic gold highlights.
The painting with the baby sea turtles is called “Black Sand” and is 18x24x1.5″
The “Nautilus Fossil” is 30x30x1.5″
Local Beach Scene
Our local beaches face the Atlantic Ocean and have such a beautiful sunrises and sunset afternoons with a myriad of gorgeous colors. I feel so fortunate to live 5 blocks from the ocean in a little ranch house from the early 70s.
“Neptune Lifeguard Chair” is 36×24″ x1.5″ gallery wraps. I prefer this shape canvas and like the thickness so no framing is needed. Its a more modern look. I paint the sides of the canvas as part of the painting that wraps around.
Egret in Flight
While teaching my students I came up with a more graphic approach to the theme of Southern Birds. We all had photo references to work from but I wanted mine to be more abstract and impressionistic. “Egret in Flight” is 30×40″ and has some surprises. You will notice while viewing in person that the paints change a bit because of the various layers of subtle colors and then, bang! the metallic gold sun over the misty lake, hits you.
Details of heavy paint and metallic gold:
Water Reflections on the Ocean
Recently, I worked on a series of water reflections on the ocean. Trying to achieve the fluidity of water and the color of the reflections from the sky on the top of the water.
“Message in a Bottle” a 40×30″ gallery wrap painting. There is a bottle floating on the surface with a note that says “I Love You”. Originally, I had way too much detail and decided to smooth out more highlights, especially the golden reflections. Available.
Pink Clouds” is 36×36″ gallery wrap with a more abstract approach. I wanted to keep it with bold strokes and not overwork it. There is a little sailboat on the horizon and subtle pastels throughout. I think this would look great above a fireplace or a room where a vision of the ocean brings you calm thoughts. Available.
This is one of my favorites. “Surface Reflections” is 30×40″. The coloring is more greenish as I discovered while bodysurfing. Its abstractness yet visually still a bit realistic was the vision I had. Always, when I have an inspiration or working in a series, the challenges of how to accomplish the final painting. Its rather like drawing up a story board in layers. When starting, I use very large brushes and energetically add to the canvas broad shapes of colors. Each color is custom mixed for each painting and guessing how warm or cool I want the color to be. I like putting warm tinted gessoes and acrylic over areas that will eventually be cool. Each phase needs to be pondered and then the steps to mix colors that give me the details that will eventually emerge. The use of transparent colors mixed with a glazing medium are what make the more realistic effect.Each layer has to dry before the next. It is part of the challenges that make being an artist so rewarding.
“Water Reflections” is a 36×36′ thick gallery wrap. None of these paintings need framing since I paint the edges as well.
Tropical fantasies
Since I am just about to depart on a painting retreat for a week in St. Kitts, organized by my dear friend and fellow artist, Beth Haizlip…I have been in a tropical island mood. The scene was entirely made up but have glints of other island paintings that I have done recently. It takes many paintings to work out an idea and then coming up with plans for execution of the idea. Painting is not just “willy nilly” dabbing paint on a canvas. Each layer must be strategized and analyzed. I am trying to have each stroke of the brush be deliberate. There are layers of glazes in various colors between the wet brush strokes.
“Perfect Evening” is 40x16x1.5″ gallery wrap
“Sunset Moonrise” is 40x30x1.5″ and expands on the idea of the previous work. I find the scene quite romantic as lovers stand on the porch of a little island cottage, watching the moon rise as the sun sets.
Details
Small accent paintings
Even though my paintings are getting larger these days, I still enjoy working on smaller accent paintings. Still I paint what I am drawn to…ocean related. These are all 12×12″ except for the Octopus which is 14″. The shell paintings are a series of three, sold together for 295.00. I also think that the shells would make nice images printed on fabric for pillows.
Paddle Boarders! This one is for You.
“Morning Paddle” is 40x30x1″ and is my impression of a scene I have witnessed when I take a morning walk on the beach.
Detail of surf. Broad strokes that are energetic and deliberate.
First Plunge for a Baby Sea Turtle
“First Plunge Baby VI” is a new 36″ square heavy gallery wrap, ready to hang. I am intrigued by how as soon as they hatch, the little sea turtles climb out of a mound of sand and instinctively make their way to the surf. Such brave little ones. I have been exploring making my brush strokes more impressionistic but deliberate.
