Saturday, December 1, 2012

Catalina Sunset Painting

 Catalina Island, California... 26 miles across the sea from Los Angeles.

                Painting in Avalon, the main harbor of the island, looking towards the casino.
This is one of my favorite places to paint from.  I usually plan on finishing two view points with canvases and thumbnails ready to go. But with early daylight savings, I rain out of my precious light.  You can see how within moments, the colors changed behind me to a warm purple hue in both the water and the sky.
This oil painting, at 8 x 10" is an example of fat over lean paint application and multiple layers of hues.
The yellow lights below the casino came on just when I needed them.
I had to paint fast to capture the light on the harbor filled with sailboats.
They are indicated here, as more of a softer impression. The focal point is the casino & lights.
I can't wait to return. There's another canvas waiting to be painted from this spot!