Dawn Stroll at White Rock - Sold

"Dawn Stroll at White Rock"

Sold

60" x 60" Oil on Heavy Duty Gallery Wrap Canvas
Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting

This painting is a commission that I have been working on for the last month.  It is going to it's home this week!  I can't wait to see it installed in the new Dallas home.  I have a few pics of the painting process, starting with the collector's photograph.  That was the inspiration for the painting.

The photo taken by the collectors while on a morning walk.  I used the photograph as a starting point, not wanting to copy it, but to paint my own interpretation in my own style of the sun rising at the lake.  

I toned the BIG canvas with transparent oils.  60" x 60" is so big that I had to work on the ladder at times.  It was a good thing that I had purchased huge amounts of paint before I started this painting.  

                                                 
Here I started with laying in my paints.  With the oils I needed to get my darks in and work on establishing the horizon line.  I was wanting to achieve a good balance of abstraction and  representation in this painting, as I worked with Karen Parks, with Associate Interiors and her clients.  

Everyday I would go into the studio and mix, mix, mix colors - wanting to achieve a harmonious painting when it comes to the colors.  

Once I got some paint on the canvas, I would use brushes, knives and other tools to move the paint around.  I used some plastic tools used for ceramics to move the paint around.

The painting changed daily.  Once I started putting the tall grass in the foreground, I realized that my horizon was lost.  So I went back in and reworked that area.  Used lots of paint and knife.

 The water had reflections and I wanted to get those in, but also make the body of water interesting.  There are some variations in the lines and brush strokes in the water...I don't know that the photograph really picks them up.

Still working on the horizon, not wanting to put lots of detail in it.  I believe the photograph had some lights, and homes in the distance. All I wanted to do is imply the layers of the shoreline, trees and sky melting in the distance.

Here is a close-up of the horizon.

Close-up of the sky.

The tall grass was so much fun to paint.  I cut loose on that, making the blades of grass different colors, sizes and shapes.  Lots of layers, using a palette knife.

More sky and palette knife work.  Once the painting was approved, the sides of the canvas were painted Portland Grey Dark, then it was varnished.  That's a short summary of how this painting, "Dawn Stroll at White Rock" was created and evolved.  I enjoyed working with  Karen Parks, ASID with Associate Interiors and the collectors to create a piece of art that will hang in the contemporary home, near White Rock Lake.  

P.S.  Here is an update:  "Dawn Stroll at White Rock" was installed yesterday....and here is a pic of Karen, myself and Kristy.

Thanks for looking at my blog...Contact Kay Wyne with any questions or comments.  Kay