Speaking of Art Blog

Twilight Shimmer, pastel, 14x11"

This is my latest pastel creation, of a sunset over Lake Michigan.  I never tire of painting sunsets over that gorgeous lake. Since I live within a couple of miles of the Indiana Dunes, I have witnessed hundreds of summer sunsets while taking pics and gasping at their beauty. 

So how did I make this sunset painting look different from all the rest that I’ve created?  Answer: I made a plan. If I don’t have a plan, then I’ll likely choose the same colors and will wind up with a clone of a previous sunset painting I’ve done, especially because I have my favorite sunset watching dune that I sit on.  Thus, my view is from the same vantage point almost every time.

I first choose a photo that simply knocks my socks off.  Then I question why it knocks my socks off. Is it the placement of the clouds? Is it the reflections in the water? Is it the light beams that burst through the clouds at the last possible moment before the sun drops below the horizon? Is it the crest of the waves as they catch the light, or the glassy calm of the lake?  Is it the colors in the lake water?  Is it the brilliant or subtle colors in the sky?

With the reference photo for this painting, I was drawn to the super saturated blues in the sky and water in stark contrast with the orange. And the sun as it slipped behind the final hot orange-rimmed bank of clouds was so captivatingly unique as it was reflected in the tranquil water in a zigzag fashion, shimmering with white-orange sparkles. The whole scene reminded me of the bold blue colors and striking contrasts in paintings by Maxfield Parrish, an American painter whose artworks I adore. As I watched that sunset, I remembered thinking, “Oh my gosh, this is a Maxfield Parrish color scheme!”  

Reveries by Maxfield Parrish

 So that was my plan – use a large variety of bold blues, glaze subtle layers of orange over the middle of the sky and the middle section of water, and make sure to accentuate the zig and zag in the sun’s watery reflection. I also played around with my photo editing software to determine the best height-width painting format. I decided to go with a vertical rectangle so that I could showcase the mirrored reflection of the sun in the water, but not lose the more subtle drama in the sky either.

At a certain point while I’m working on a painting, my plan takes over. I honestly don’t even need to look at the reference photo anymore, so sometimes I turn my easel iPad off. Reaching my intended goal takes priority over whatever I still see in my reference photo.  I am blazing my own new trail. Some artists even write their plan on a post it note and stick it on their easel to keep in plain view.  Good idea.

It’s really hard to know when you’ve arrived at your destination if you don’t have a plan for where you’re going.  I strongly suggest making a plan before stepping up to your easel. It makes the journey so much more purposeful. Start by asking yourself, “So, what about this scene knocks my socks off?”  Then follow that path, and leave your socks behind, LOL.