The shape and the color of the boat looked abstract from certain angle. Although, I have always avoided using cerulean or turquoise blue, with a big dark blue shape and a line of red next to it, it looked appealing. I tried to keep the abstraction of the shapes that drew me to this composition. This has been a good start for a beginning of new year.
Lual – Work in Progress
Sinking ship, one of my favorite subject is no longer on site. However, a small fishing boat named “Lual” docked near a shipyard caught my attention. After keeping an eye on it for a few months to make sure that the boat is not there only temporarily, I started to draw it yesterday for the first time. Although Lual is a small boat, it has many interesting lines and shapes I look for in my subjects. I was happy with how the drawing turned out. The painting is in its beginning stage. It will require a few more trips during this cold weather.
Observing and Drawing Lual
I enjoy working from observation. Painting from observation is not about depicting what’s in front of you. It is about constructing your own world; through keen observation, your imagination and interpretation of what inspires you. All the visual elements are in front of you, around you; lines, shapes, colors, relations; waiting for you to piece it together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes you are lucky, every piece is already in place. Most often than not, you will need to tweak it, move it, remove it, to make it work in your world.
Painting on site brings another level of excitement; you are a part of the world in which you are observing and painting. Then you are also challenged by the light and time. Every change passes by you; the light, the wind, the smell, the sound, the crowd. It is exciting and dynamic; every little change is a motivation to keep going. You will never be bored.