Thursday, January 3, 2008

Mackerel skies

Back to the canvas and that mackerel sky. I'm realizing it's a marathon, not a sprint. Having fun exploring my new paints, trying out Radiant white, Caribbean blue and Payne's gray as part of my mix.
Though I am no where near done, I decided to post some 'in progress' photos. The bottom quarter is very undeveloped. There is no horizon in this work - no earth/trees - but the sunrise glow is part of the perspective. I've laid that in and will work the densely knitted together clouds over it. I added more shape and intensity to the blues and painted clouds on the top right, with the canvas sideways for awhile, which always helps me focus on what's right in front of my brush. One marker of progress on this beast is I wasn't completely lost every time I looked away to my reference and then looked back at the canvas. I'm starting to recognize the territory I've mapped.

I shot this photo in the afternoon. My rolling painting cart in on the far right of the frame and the messy coffee table that doubles as my desk is on the left. The chair behind the easel came in for the holidays, when my studio was cleared out for a party, and hasn't been toted out yet. That's my dog's bone on the floor by the easel.