Fix It Friday #3 - Beach Study

Beach Study, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

SOLD

I hope this post finds you well. It has been a crazy week all over the country, as we have watched institutions shut down and events get canceled. I've had to cancel my own upcoming workshops, which makes me so sad. It's a nerve-wracking time for us all.

So... let's have some fun with paint on "Fix It Friday"... 

FIXER UPPER #3 - Beach Study, 6 x 8, oil on panel

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - Stagnant horizon line.

Fix 1 - Extended the grasses up over the horizon, made focal point more pronounced. 

Fix 2 - Added birds at horizon for movement and to draw eye into the picture plane.

Problem 2 - Foreground is cramped.

Fix 1 - Eliminated shadow and grasses in corner which opens up entry to beach.

Fix 2 - Kept part of the shadow lead in, but muted way down.

Problem 3 - Overall coolness in color.

Fix 1 - Warmed up sandy foreground.

Fix 2 - Warmed up clouds.

OBSERVATION:

It's always a good idea to let one element dominate. In this case the big clump of sea grasses are the main "event", but they were diminished in the first version. Giving them a larger presence and popping them above the horizon allows them to have the attention they are due.

Click Here to see Fix It Friday #1
Click Here to see Fix it Friday #2 

Cascading Cloud Bank - Anderson Gallery Exhibit

Cascading Cloud Banks, 30 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2014

SOLD at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Sometimes, cloud banks seem to literally pile up as they roll in over the beach. On this particular day, the banks got so high that the dunes and sea grasses were completely dwarfed below. I love it when the sky gets big like that. This piece is headed for my solo show on St. Simons Island - opening April 25th.

BTW - I will be teaching a plein air workshop in conjunction with my show, and I just got word that we've had a cancellation. If you are a last minute planner, this spot might be for you!! Details:

PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP: FROM MARSH TO SEASIDE

April 24 - 26, 2014, 9 am - 4 pm

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Register with Mary Anderson

www.andersonfineartgallery.com

Phone: 912- 634-8414 | Email: mand@mindspring.com

Ocean Beach (study)

Ocean Beach (study), L. Daniel, 6 x 8, SOLD

This painting takes me back to my visit to St. Simons Island, GA last spring. I am pretty busy in my studio right now, completing larger works for my upcoming show in April. Doing this small study helped me warm up and get mentally back to the sights and sounds of the sand and surf. I'll post the larger one (a 24 x 48 diptych) as the time gets closer to my show. For now, I am dreaming of beach days. :)


See more Small Works

Sea Oats At Dusk

Sea Oats At Dusk (study), L. Daniel, 6 x 8, SOLD

This is another study for a larger painting that I will post at another time. (I have been working in the studio all week and am a bit behind in photographing.) I love the way colors and shadows shift as the sun goes down. The beach is particularly dramatic in this respect.

Happy Independence Day to All!!

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See More Small Works

First Light

First Light (study), L. Daniel, 6 x 8, study SOLD

Back in Georgia, I was able to spend many early mornings on the beach. Mostly, I just walked and observed because the light moved quickly and became too bright to paint. These first colors of the day are so delicious though, and I find myself still thinking about them back in the studio.

See more Small Works


After completing the small study, I painted this larger piece below to send off to my gallery. Beyond size, I didn't change much in the second one except to "push" more purples and periwinkles in the shadows. They are pretty similar, but I think the larger one vibrates a little more.

First Light, L. Daniel, 12 x 16