Because sometimes you have to.
This particular painting has had some reconsideration since I declared it finished a while back. As I always like to do, I gave it a rest by putting it out of sight, moving on to other work, and returned to reappraise it objectively after some time had passed.
In this instance, I decided that it was falling short of what I was after.
I find the effects of light, color, and motion in Hawai’i to be so beautiful, in and of themselves, that I’m very conscious of the danger of caricaturing those aspects. One sees that enough…exaggerated colors and stereotyped images of the sea, drained of any actual reality or meaning, as if the artist has lost contact with the subject.
While I never felt I was running that particular risk, I found that there were improvements to be made in the color of the water, which was running a bit too green, and some compositional additions that would be positive .
Sunlit Surf- Lana’i Lookout Oil on Linen 24 x 32″
I made some appropriate adjustments in the color, some additions in the foreground and the introduction of a white wave in the background on the left horizon, which adds more of an incentive for the eye to travel there. Finally, I noticed a very pale, waxing crescent moon one evening, and decided that if painted very subtly it could be a beneficial addition. I’m now much happier with the piece and am willing to let it rest for final varnishing and to be framed.
Hi Mark. I loved this back in October when you thought it was finished. I love it even more now. Hope your Christmas was wonderful and your new year has begun well.
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks for that. This painting went through a difficult adolescence. Not every painter has this a few miles from their studio, and it’s a privilege that deserves the best I can give it. From the artist’s viewpoint, paintings always seem to fall short somehow, but the blessing is that you learn something and can try again, which I will.
Best to you guys!