LARGE PAINTING, LARGE BRUSHES, EGG TIMER PART II

The completion of "Hidden Falls" a 24" x 30" studio painting.
















"Hidden Falls" 24" x 30" oil/linen Stage 5, 5 minutes


Time to attack the waterfall and shadow areas of the painting. Using a size 12 hog bristle brush I rapidly throw a dark blue/purple tone up both sides of the painting. It is bluer on the left than on right because my light is coming from up left.














"Hidden Falls" 24" x 30" oil/linen, Stage 6, 15 minutes

Taking the blue and purple piles of paint I mix them together and add white to come up with the waterfall color. I want the waterfall to be mostly in shadow with a bit of distance from the middle section of boulders so I work to create this feeling by painting the distance boulders as if they are covered in the mist of the waterfall. Realizing I have a little more than an hour left on the timer I am moving rapidly from section to section trying to create a flow from top to bottom keeping in mind how I want the viewer's eye to flow through the painting.



























Close up views of paint strokes. This is the point in my studio paintings where I typically freeze up, tighten up and generally blow it. I see the smaller brushes sitting next to the palette calling my name...begging me to pick them up and abandon my exercise. SHUT UP you silly brushes.
Sticking with my #12 flat bristle brush I paint in the water pools, finish the waterfall and redesign the bottom of the painting.













"Hidden Falls" 24" x 30" oil/linen Stage 7, 1 hour

I step back and decide the row of boulders going through the middle of the painting are catching too much light so I mix some blue/purple stuff and throw it across the top to cool down the light side of the boulders. This pleases me. DING! Kitchen timer just went off. I finish ten minutes before the timer goes off. Total time start to finish is two hours. You can't see it in the finish but there is a lot of fresh, bold, enthusiastic brush strokes. It is still not at the level of freshness I want but it is a step closer. This is a good first step to where I want my work to go this year.