Day 20 of the 30/30 Challenge – Sunset

Here’s is today’s unfinished Sunset painting to go with this unfinished blog post… At the moment, I don’t know where I took the original photo that I am working from. Perhaps it was right here in New York. I’ll let you know when I find out.

When I use the word unfinished to describe the state of this painting, it is in a completely different context than before. While I said that other paintings feel like they are not complete, this one truly isn’t. I didn’t get a chance to work on it much today, as the rather crude handling of paint indicates. But I did get a chance to pack about 25 brushes away that I never use, which will make it easier to find the brushes that I like.

Nor will I get to work on this Wednesday. (How does a haircut, nutritionist appointment, and the Merry Widow HD movie courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera sound to you?). That’s why I am switching to a drawing so I’ll have something ready to post on Leslie’s site for Day 21. Then I can still go to sleep at a reasonable hour this week (if you call midnight reasonable). Drawings are much quicker for me (no cleanup too), and I might just be able to finish it.

I plan on picking up this painting again in a few days to refine it, including the handling of the paint itself, the reflecting edges of the clouds, and the addition of light yellow-orange clouds.

Based on this photo, the purple should be dulled down with it’s complementary color (in this case orange). Switching to a less violet purple should help too (one that doesn’t remind me of the purple people eater song).  The light of day will give me truer picture of what’s going on here.

To be continued. I hope you’ll come back to see the final painting.