Pawleys After Lunch

5" x 7" oil on board
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Beach Reader

8" x 10" oil on board
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This is my Aunt, Diane, reading on the beach at Pawleys Island, SC. My hope is that it could be any beach reader

The Shed

The Shed
8" x 10" oil on board
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My sister described my painting as "sloppy."  One of many qualities that my sister and I share is that things don't always come out of our mouths the way we intend them to. At least I hope that was true in this case.  She went on to clarify that it was, "sloppy in a good way."  Still not exactly the description one wants to hear about ones painting style, but I think I know what she means.  These days, I'm really focussing on clean, bright colors and correct values, possibly at the expense of technique. Painting outside forces you to make decisions about color and value quickly. It's great practice, and hopefully as I am able to make those decisions more quickly and accurately, some of the "sloppiness" will fade and I'll be able to focus more on technique.

One decision I made with this painting that I think represents a step in the right direction was to stop looking at the scene in front of me after about an hour of painting. The light had changed so much that I found myself reworking things that didn't need reworking. I focussed on working within the values that I set out initially, and I think I was successful. I usually don't say this, but I love this painting.  When I look at it, it makes me feel the way I do midday at the river when I'm engulfed by warmth, humidity, good smells, and the anticipation of good times with family and friends. Plus, I got to paint with my sister.

Turtle Cove

Turtle Cove
8" x 6" oil on canvas panel


Another image from our trip to Mexico this summer.  We dodged most of the thunderstorms during our time in Tulum, but we were shadowed from time to time as they mushroomed out of the Caribbean and floated off to the west.  Occasionally, shadows covered our beach while the sea a few yards out was still bathed in bright, warm sunshine.  I was interested in this phenomenon, and I kept thinking how inviting the ocean looked beyond the shadows of the passing storms.  In this painting, I tried to capture that feeling, and I think I did OK - maybe I could have enhanced it a bit by darkening the shadow on the water in the left-center.