celebration XIII 30x34”, as it looked moments ago
2:22 PM: there was way too much going on in the central portion of the composition, so i simplified it, and in the process it became a more dramatic painting, with the reflection of the aspens in the background becoming the focus of attention. i’m going to stop here & see how i feel in the morning.
BELOW: three phases of the painting today
celebration XIII as it looked moments ago
1:32 PM: after whiting over the 11:36 am version you see below, i behan painting into it as a creek-scape. it’s not there yet, but as always, it will progress and it’s been interesting making this shift.
celebration XIII, 30x34” as it looked following my scrub-over this morning
11:36 AM: when i encountered the painting this morning, it looked way too dark, way too busy and just not me.
so my first impulse was to take a break from painting in oils and start a new watercolor/gouache, series, which i still may do. but i had to get rid of all that harsh business, so i scrubbed it down with solvent. here’s how it looks post-scrub, and i’m contemplating going over it with a thin layer of white, allowing some of this to show through. if so, i’ll post later.