Hastings at Dusk

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

I painted this scene of a sunset in Hastings, U.K. from a photo I cribbed from my Facebook feed just because I I loved the colors in it.  I distilled it down to the basics to simplify the composition.  Needs a couple tweaks, but otherwise I'm happy with it.  

I've been relegated to doing only small works since last November, ever since my pet sitter went out of commission.  I cannot work in the studio with my dog there, where she paces incessantly, which drives me nuts.  And I cannot work on larger pieces when I cannot work back-to-back 6-hour days minimum.  So for the time being, I must work at home instead where I only have a tabletop easel.  Looking forward to the day when I can sink my teeth into larger works again.

Landscape Study 9-13-2021

 

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is a study of a scene I pass by often while walking my dog along the Lynch Creek Trail in eastern Petaluma.  It is a study of the particular light that hits these hills at dusk, creating beautiful grays, with an intense strip of sun glow at the top of the hills.  I had a difficult time getting the values that I wanted, mostly because I was using ivory black in my color mixes to dull the colors down a bit, which tends to darken as it dries.  If I paint this scene again, I will do it in oil, not acrylic.  That'll solve that problem!