Two at Montage

I got away from the high wind and headed down to the beach. There is an endless supply of amazing vistas to paint, but I am drawn time and time again to this location.  This is a classic location that just does not get old.

After the long walk down to the resort, I dropped my gear and got ready for a long day of painting.  I did  a quick sketch and got started.

The first pass.  I got most of the drawing right.  I had covered the surface and got the gist of the values in place.

There was a problem with the scale of the bluff with the key hole in it.  The bluff extended too far down the big rock in the foreground.

You can see the remnants of the adjustment I made to correct the mistake.  I have made this same mistake in the past.  When I made this same mistake before, I failed to make the correction in time.  I was then stuck with a improper representation.  Because I could not go back and correct it, I was reminded by it throughout my painting.  This led to a unsatisfying result.  

At this point in the painting, I had made my final adjustments to the drawing.  The light was changing to the point where I had to make a decision about how I wanted the painting to turn out.

Once I had gotten the drawing right I was able to get lost in the painting.  When I get past the big problems with the composition, I slip into this deep focus.  Everything starts to become automatic.  I will lose track of the time and suddenly the painting is finished.  It is like waking up from a dream.

 Finished with the first painting.  The board for the second painting is leaning against the railing.

The color feels harmonious.  The composition feels right.

The finished painting.  24"X 36" like almost all of my paintings.

The value shot.  Nothing seems overstated.

The detail shot.  I like the consistency of the mark making.

 After completing my first painting, the question was do I pack up and go or do I paint another?  There was not enough time to paint anything of quality in the amount of time I had left.  I could have easily gone home.  My painting time is limited and I want to grow. What will make me better?  I rarely get a chance to paint at sunset because of the size I paint.  To get at the right point in the painting timed with the setting sun is difficult.  So I painted.  Although this painting did not turn out as well as it could; there were some learnings with this painting.

The composition has plenty of opportunities, but I liked some of the color combinations that showed up in this painting.  The benefit of painting was the experience I gained from the practice.  Every painting does not turn out the way I want it to.  In fact a number of them don't.  The growth from pushing the limits adds up over time. how many plein air painters are getting twelve square feet of painting completed in a day?

The value shot.

The detail shot.  

The end of the day.

The days work.  Long shadows and a long walk back to the car with my gear.  The worst part of the day.