A Caribbean Afternoon ..

Wondering Out Of My Comfort Zone ..

A walk through.. Trying something new.. and this painting I am calling, 'Caribbean Afternoon'.

There Came An Idea ..

To paint on a new surface, for me at least. I know of some artists that venture out of their comfort zones and try new things. I have never been so good at that, I think. I suppose that I wouldn’t call myself an ‘artist’ if this were absolutely true, although I tend to stick to what's comfortable and thus limit my horizons slightly. I had already tinkered, a few times in the past week or two, with the idea of painting with oils on paper. Here are those posts:

• A Little Something Different Today
• I See The Light ~ Painting From Start To Finish

After tinkering a bit, I decided that I kind of like this new surface. I think I found something new to apply my creative juices toward.. For now at least. So here we go...

I Have Had This Vision In My Head ..

Floating around in there for the last month or so. I suppose that an up and coming vacation, booked and paid for, to the Caribbean helps the creative influence. In my mind I am already there ;). This vision includes me on the beach with drink in hand.. Wait a minute .. that's a different vision. Seriously though, I have this memory of the mid to late afternoons while relaxing on the beach. I remember the clouds building ever so slightly all day until the same time every afternoon. The clouds would start to gather more abundantly, at which time small storms would start to pop up just off shore. I rather enjoyed watching them linger over the ocean. The water, already a stunning blue, would reflect there shadows while creating a new layer of blue within the horizon. It sort of demands I paint it, therefore I will. I will call it 'Caribbean Afternoon' ...

Photo By BDMiller - Jamaica Storms A Brewin
This was my inspiration and the final product will be a figment of my creative imagination.

The Materials ..

• For the painting surface …
  As mentioned above, I will be using paper for this piece. This is a watercolor paper by Artist's Loft. This particular pad is cut to 11”X15” sheets. I trimmed it down even further after I was finished and as you will see later on.
  

  

• For a brush …
  I used my fingers and a Royal 9159 Shader. That’s it. I like to shade and blend using my fingers. I sometimes feel like I have more control this way. Down side of this is that my finger becomes a bit sensitive at the tip. All of the friction sometimes wears away a touch of my finger print too.. Weird lol.
  

  

• As far as paint choice goes …
  This is the oil paint line up. Ivory Black, Titanium White, Winsor Violet, Viridian Hue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, and Yellow Ochre.
  

  

The Process ..

Everything in life is a process. A 'Caribbean Afternoon' starts here.

First ..

I like to strike my horizon line. I placed it approximately ¼ of the way up from the bottom of the paper. I rough in a few clouds and dab in the start of what will be the bright Viridian Caribbean ocean.

Next I Worked On ..

Putting more details into the clouds themselves, lightly shading them with blues and violet tones. Toward the end of working on them, I added highlights of Titanium White. In the last couple of photos in this set, you will see that the storms are starting to take shape. I used the cobalt blue and blended it in at an angle to the horizon line, in hope to achieve the look of rain falling in the far off distance. This is a little tricky but I think it came out pretty good. I like the challenge of trying to get the look right. I don’t always get it correct, but love trying to.

My Little Helper ..

I am giving this painting more attention than I am giving him, therefore he plops himself between us. Got to Love him! He eventually lays down on my lap and I have to admit, it is a bit comforting to have him close while painting :-)

At This Point ..

I am getting tired of looking at the white blank space to the right of the painting. It's time for that bad boy to come off. I grab my long metal ruler and a razor blade. S L I C E .. It’s Gone! The painting is now trimmed to a nice 9”X13”.

The End Is In Sight ..

As I place the final details within the clouds, the storms, and the ocean. I brighten the colors up a little and use a small brush in order to get a finer blend. As a reminder, everything was painted with my right index finger, up until the final stages. This is when I wanted to get a finer blend at the horizon and in the clouds.

What’s Left? My seal of approval.. The Signature! I am done and am very pleased with this small creation. It was a blast painting this one. All in it took me about 4 hours from start to finish, not including sealing it up or eventually framing it. If I wasn’t already, I am definitely looking forward to that Caribbean vacation now. I am also feeling like continuing this momentum and wanting to start another tropical themed piece.

I threw a frame around it..not perfect, but you get the idea of what it may look like

A Recap ..

Thanks For Stopping By ..

I enjoyed sharing the process with you and hope you'll check back to see what else I may be posting here in the near future. As always.. PLEASE feel free to leave your thoughts, criticisms and advice. I appreciate all of it. Till next time, Have a Great Day!!!

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If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

This painting (Eventually) along with other works can be found for sale in my Facebook Shop: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BDMillerGallery/shop

OR

Make me an offer (in SBD) in the comments section of this post. I will consider all offers.

If we agree on a price, you can transfer the SBD to my wallet. I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location and also payable in SBD).

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

;-)