Venice Rocks

Venice Rocks, 6x6" oil, plein air sketch, ©Diane Mannion

Water Study

Painted at Caspersen Beach, Venice this morning with the Peace River Painters and the Venice Plein Air group.  Artists were scattered everywhere, on the shore, under palm trees, along the boardwalk, even in parking lots.  Serious winds developed... hats blew off, easels tipped, tourists chased umbrellas down the beach! 

The calm blue Gulf turned frothy green as the bottom sand churned up. The scene I had been painting changed completely.  I was far enough along with this sketch to pick up my blown-over equipment for the second time and leave.  

So much of painting water is visual memory, nothing holds still!  Even though this scene is simply bands of sky, water, rocks and sand, I began with a thumbnail sketch.  Always useful for mapping out patterns and rhythms, a design plan of attack before hitting the canvas.  Takes away the fear of approaching the scary blank space.  

My thumbnail sketch this morning was extremely abstract and loose.  I prefer a more detailed design, a notan blocking out darks and lights, but knew the winds were coming and acted fast.

Quick thumbnail sketch in Moleskine sketchbook with black pen.