Back Bay

I got an early start after dropping my mom off at the airport.  She had spent the week with us.

My initial sketch to make sure that I can fit everything in the painting.  I really love the zig zag composition in this location.  I have been painting this size for a year and half now en plein air.  It is a weird size for me.  24x32 

I went to Newport Back Bay Newport Bay Conservancy which was about 5 minutes away from John Wayne Airport.  This allowed me to start painting much earlier than I usually do.  

The initial drawing done and the start of the blocking in of the painting.

The blocking is almost completed.  I am trying to keep the shapes within the drawing intact.  I put in the sky earlier than I normally would.  It set the value plan for the rest of the painting.

The block in completed.  The foreground is set up to react to the colors I am going to add to this area.  One of the time consuming things was having to rework the foreground.

I am working from the back to front to help establish the  areil perspective.

At this point I am ready to elaborate on the shapes, colors, and values within the painting.

The process of subdividing the larger shapes.

I waited for a moment when the sky was appealing to me.  I quickly responded to the shapes and values in the sky.

I wanted to make the foreground darker and warmer in value and color.  This would help create the feeling of distance within the painting and separate the foreground from the middle and background.

The early morning overcast conditions really saturated the colors.

The slow build up within the painting allowed me to chase the light as the sun started to break.  As the time committed to my painting continued to mount I felt this internal urgency to finish.  The paint grew thicker and flew faster as I knew what I wanted in the end.

The gully and brush on the right hand side of the painting had to be reworked to create the right base for my finishing efforts.  I had somehow been able to portray this the first time it would have probably cut off a couple of hours of painting.

Pushing the colors darker and warmer on the right side to allow me to create the feeling of the dried brush.  Some redrawing of shapes on the right also took up valuable time.

The sun had come out but it was still hazy.  It didn't change everything. Starting early allowed me to get a fuller expression.

One of the things about my painting that has evolved is the thickness of the paint I have been putting down.  For the last 3 months I have moved away from thin washes and worked at throwing down thickly applied paint.

The finished painting.  One last review for any last minute touches.

Plein air oil on board 24x32

The value shot.

The detail shot.