LPAPA at Carlsbad with Rita Pacheco

The paint out for LPAPA was at Dog Beach in Carlsbad.  It started at 8:30 am so I had to really move and start early.  I got a little lost but was only 5 or 10 minutes late.

Rita gave a great demo.  She painted quickly, kept her focus on the information that she was sharing, and spent plenty of time with everyone who was there painting.

The lagoon was interesting.  The sand and the water in contrast to the grass and the hills in the distance.  The shapes of the sand, the path, the water, the hill on the left, and the hills in the distance really worked.  I had to shorten the width between the elements to get them into the 24x30 board.

To me there were attractive aspects to each of the choices.  The grass with a hint of sand and water seemed incomplete.  The sand dominating the picture with the water seem too simple.  The answer for me was to combine them.

I really liked the warm colors in her painting.

This painting started by indicating the large shapes within the context of the composition.  You can see the S shape of the composition.

There were about 15 painters who showed up to paint and speak to Rita.  There were painters who came from as far away as Anza Borrego.

Rita worked with everyone who showed up.  She was so positive in the feedback and information she shared.

This path that bends through the grass was the most interesting element in the painting to me.  The accurate shape and perspective of the path and beach were most important 

Here the dark shapes help define the light shapes.

Here I am defining the dark shapes through the lighter shapes.

Pulling the foreground to the bottom of the painting helps to finish defining the shape of the composition.

Now I wanted to bring the foreground into sharper contrast to the background.  I tried to get as dark as I could in the foreground to push the background back further.

Here the composition looks like a double S.  This is something I could have never planned to do.  Giving in to the moment allows freedom of expression.  Overthinking leads over wrought paintings.

Refinement within all of the areas of the painting to make them support each other yet be able to stand alone on their own strength.

Cleaning up the pallet at the end of the day.

I have been trying to use all of the paint that I lay down.  It has been a struggle.  It seems like I am throwing away a tube everytime I start.

Finished!  Now clean up and rush home to beat the traffic.

24x32 oil on board en plein air.

The value shot.

The detail shot.