Marathon Painting – Day 2
Sunday was my next outing, another record high day. My truck’s dashboard read that the temperature was in the mid 90’s. I went through two bottles of vitamin water and even donned sunscreen and long sleeves. It was a long hot day.
Starting at Scout Lake, I completed my first painting in less than an hour (5×7″ oil on panel). Packing up quickly, I immediately headed out to a shaded location that I knew of in Wilson Park. I did another small one there (5×7 oil on panel). The smaller paintings seem to work well as warm ups. When I have 50 of these I plan to display them somewhere, side by side.
After lunch and more water in a mercifully air conditioned restaurant, I headed out to Sheridan park again to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and the breeze. This time I was set upon by Indian children, some family festivities going on at a diffferent part of the park. Sundays are for families, apparently. A little girl told me I should use more brown in my water. I had to agree. I used a much more chromatic and thick approach for this painting, (8×10″ oil on panel) I think by this time my concentration was wandering as well. I experimented with a way of capturing the ripples on the lake, but I did not scale the marks well. It is exceptionally difficult to paint something that moves constantly.
After this I drove to get more water and cool off, then returned to the lake front, scoping out several locations in other parks. I finally came upon a very late afternoon view of the docks from Cuppertino Park. I decided to try this even though the light was already dying. The race left me breathless and triumphant at the end of an hour and a half. (8×10″ oil on gessobord) I will definitely have to go back and attempt this again with more time, but I think I had a breakthru with regards to painting faster and more gesturally.
The first competition begins late next week. Thursday and Friday I will be in Beloit, Sunday as well. I’ve got a week to get three frames together for this. I may get another outing in before then.