Gulf Exercise

Gulf Exercise, 8x10"oil, plein air, Diane Mannion

Practice

 

Surf painting is the most difficult subject for me!  Started with a thumbnail sketch but still could not lock in the pattern I wanted.  Made color notes and watched waves repeating more or less the same movement and tried to memorize the shapes.  There must be a dozen paintings underneath this two hour sketch.  

 

Have painted on this beach many times over the years and still find it impossible to capture the sheer brilliance of the Gulf.  Not giving up though!  It's a beautiful challenge.

Hopefully taking a workshop with master marine artists Don Demers and Mary Erickson this winter.  So to get ready, it's back to watching Don's video, THE ART OF THE WAVE for the millionth time, dusting off my E John Robinson's books (The Seascape Painters Problem Book, and Paint the Sea in Oils), and will stare longingly at Winslow Homer and Joaquin Sorolla's seascapes.

A great group of Peace River Painters gathered on the beach this morning despite the nippy-for-Florida weather.  Actually had to scrape FROST off my windshield and turn the (gasp) heat on!