An Artist’s Journal
I invite you to join me on my journey creating each art piece, my painting ‘process’ and the insights I’ve learned along the way.
Solitude Found with A Kayak
Do you Kayak?? A captured memory of that moment can be found in this painting. For sale in Shop right now!
Do you Kayak?
If you have been kayaking before then you will understand the experience. Perhaps if you have not tried the Kayak, maybe this Journal will encourage you. Of course, there are those who only want to boat on the water with a motor. From personal experience, Kayaking is always an adventure that delivers so much in a more solitude way. During trips on the water, I have had dolphins swim up behind me with only the sound of air blowing, so quietly. Gliding along the water watching alligators, sharks, fish, manatee and of course so many birds. On a recent trip we observed white pelicans and roseate spoonbills. So So Glorious, to see animals living in nature uninterrupted and being part of the moment, or day.
Why paint a Kayak??
Kayaks were used thousands of years ago by the Alaskan Inuits. Mostly for hunting and fishing, being able to quietly sneak up on fish or animals. Today just remaining in a state of observation during an outing is fascinating. I was challenging myself exploring the idea of painting “the experience” . If one looks at the painting, they should immediately find themselves back in that memory of kayaking.
Before embarking on a painting the process of a value study is like training of the brain in the detail and aspects that can be chosen for the completion of this type of exercise. It is easy on paper to add, delete or change something before the oils hit the canvas.
The first thing to study, is the dark and lights. After that the focal area of interest should be considered. Can this idea bring forth a story of what the day was like??
The life and death of the saw grass in only a moment of that flow in which time, the vastest river, carries us and all life forward.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Using a Palette Knife
This is what was completed. Using water-soluble oil paints applied with a palette knife. This treatment becomes more impressionistic rather than realism. There are days, that the only thing one needs is to be near the water during sunset with a long rest feeding the soul!
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Are You Finding Yourself Connecting To Nature?
Autumnal Equinox
On September 22nd we experienced the transition from summer to the fall season. This is measured by the sun crossing the equator, where the day and night are at equal distance. The days will now become shorter with daylight savings time changing on November 1 to compensate for the shorter days of light. The sun crosses the equator two times within a year the next time we will anticipate the equinox will be in the spring called the Vernal Equinox. Also, interesting to the sun is the solstice which we will look forward to on December 21. This is when the sun realigns the limits of its path of declination, “sun stands still”, before changing direction to the north.
The sunset colors are unusual as the warm colors reds and oranges are missing.
One can see a slight touch of orange in a sky that normally shouts loudly with color
Observation in a Painting
As the summers have become hotter all over the planet. We find this also to be exaggerated in the Florida Keys. During the days experiencing high temperatures along with high levels of humidity. EXCEPT on this evening the sun was very bright and the first time all summer season we felt the evening breeze. Trying to capture the clouds as they were being blown across the sky as if to pass by the sun in celebration to fall. So I grabbed a few clouds passing by and held them for the moment of painting this scene. As the sun continued its brightness the breeze handed us a bit of relief.
In this type of painting, one has to anticipate the movements of the clouds, the sun along with the light and shadows. It is one of the most challenging of paintings as the sun drops like a coin the closer it becomes to the horizon. Like taking a snapshot in your mind and applying the paint quickly for that moment. The light after the sun sets starts to diminish leaving the momentary imprint to work from in the memory with light fading into the night.
The authentic way to survive the sunsets is not to desire the masterpiece painting but to put it in the collection of experiences, some good, some hit the recycle bin. When you experience these paintings, I hope you can take away that moment that was connected to nature.
Nature Is Conspiring To Connect Us To Reality
Dr Robert Svoboda
During These Strange Times
We all can search for those items of inspiration and joy. Nature unveils this in “her”, magical way. The colors, clouds, reflection in the water and the moment of being there. Maybe this image can bring that moment back to life, in a frame and hanging in the right place to receive a glance once in a while.
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