I had an old painting that was going nowhere so I decided to use my newest inspiration to cover the old painting. I painted sailboats on a large wooden panel and never liked the concept. I began by gathering reference photos for Bug Light. It is an iconic lighthouse in the entrance to the Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury harbors. I then had to figure how I wanted the mood of the painting to be. I could do a bright bluebird sky or a stormy sky which I always love painting. I made a choice to be somewhere in the middle of the two.
In this first photo you can see the remnants of the sailboats underneath the new painting. It's
hard to see where you are going until the previous painting in obliterated from view. In the next photo you can see blocking in phase where I try to determine if I like the composition. Colors are still not fully developed until I really am sure I am on the right track.
In this photo you can see I'm working to better form the lighthouse itself. I will simplify the lighthouse as all of the minute details will just make the painting look fussy and overworked. The land mass in the background was too high relative to the size of the light house and had to be made smaller and lighter because it is farther away. The top of the lighthouse goes on last, only after the sky is complete to my satisfaction.
Here is one of the photos referenced for the light house. I will be working on this painting for a while and once it is completed it will be for sale. You can see it at my November open studio. If you have submitted your email you will receive an evite 1 month before the studio date. Mark your calendars!!
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