January 8 - Still the Three Boats, more work on this 24 36 inch commission

Now I'm purely having FUN! It is so enjoyable to go in familiar territory, bringing this commission up to this stage. I'm connecting the dots so to speak, making changes to the shapes of the obats, integrating the whole composition before I start with the details, the calligraphy and areas of high contrast that will hold the viewer's eye. I'm quite pleased with it at this stage. I think a day to let these layers set up, so I can do the details without picking up the underlayment.

You can see that I've cleaned up a lot of the edges, losing some, and I added the palm trees and beach (oh to be there now) behind the Soulmate. The Absolute is definitely closer to the viewer, and turned slightly this way. I still have much more to do on the Southern Cross in the night sky, and to add the stellar constellation of that same name. Such fun!

Next will be the details!!

January 7 - The Three Boat Commission ongoing

The day's work on this commission has ended up with me covering about 75% of the canvas, with the general colors that will be in each location. this part of the painting process is cerebral and intuitive, as I make decisions as the brush goes to the surface. Where to end a cloud, sight lines of shapes and edges, and keeping the viewer's eye going where I need it to go. As I may have mentioned, this pass is just getting the larger shapes in place, and doing those areas about which I have a good deal of certainty.
The decision to make the "Southern Cross" into an ephemeral shape will make its position in the sky more believable. People want to see things where they would normally be, and to put a boat in the sky is good in concept, yet to convey it in a rather traditional painting would be a challenge. I think I can do it, keeping that boat "there, but not". I have left the dark upper left for the constellation of the Southern Cross. The change in sky from one side to the other is handled by the clouds in both locations, Seattle and the Caribbean.
I can hardly wait to do the water and reflections! I love painting water.

Still more changes to come!!

January 6 - The Boat Commission Canvas Beginning

Here's the 24 x 36 inch canvas, prepped with white gesso tinted with cadmium orange and burnt umber gesso thrown in. I made some changes to the original sketch as I thought about the relationship of the boats. The larger one in the foreground is the current boat for this recipient. The second boat is further away, in Florida I believe, and sailed into the Caribbean, I don't know if the recipient still owns this one. Now that shape in the upper left is going to become a "ghost ship" in the night sky (a vignette) because it was lost in one of the Florida hurricanes. There will be stars there, and the Southern Cross in the night sky (and the name of the boat).
Mount Ranier will be behind the largest boat as its location is within view of it. I've seen the Southern Cross in my travels, I've been to tropical locations, and also to Seattle. Actually being in a place you're asked to paint certainly helps!
Challenges for me right now are in designing the clouds over Mt. Ranier and transitioning that to the night sky and ghost ship. Ought to be a fun day tomorrow!

January 5 - Three Boat Commission Painting

OK, you overwhelmed me with the comments about donuts and New Year's resolutions! I get it, and won't paint the cruller...well, I'll wait a while. There are three donuts left (the rest, all 20 or so, went to the coyotes tonight). Our power keeps going out with the high winds, so I may not be able to get this to you before midnight. I'll try, though. The winds are incredibly strong, with gusts up to 80 miles per hour. We're sheltered here in the new place a bit, but our neighbors out on the slope below us are really getting hit. And the power lines come up from there.

The commission for the boats came through with the details I needed, and here is the quote from the originator: "My vision of the scene is the Soulmate in a tropical setting (light blue/turquoise water and palm trees) then the scene morphing to the Absolute with a Northwestern type landscape (dark blue water and possibly Mt. Rainier). The Southern Cross I envision in the starry sky - as a 'ghost' ship - sailing away so you see the back of the boat with the outriggers extended. And sailing toward the constellation of the Southern Cross. The Soulmate and Absolute can be facing whatever direction makes sense to you."

I suggested a slight horizontal format (ocean water tending to seek a certain level!) and will have no problem depicting the night view of the lost Southern Cross (she was taken in a hurricane). The images of the boats are adequate, although I'm going to have to really do some drawing to get the Southern Cross in position going away from the viewer, because that source material shows a view looking down toward the stern (back) instead of equal or above the horizon. Just another knot in the anchor rope!