A large canvas like this can be pretty overwhelming, especially when you can’t ever see the whole thing at once. Working from my sketches, I started with the top of the reef, adding sections at a time.
Working my way down.
Now, I get to add my favoritos: fish.
Plus Fish
I’m thinking the first focal point will be the top of the water. I want to my snappers to guide the viewers eye from the top of the painting, to the left, then again to the right, always heading downward.
I got to the bottom of things!
Blocked bottom. (that’s funny)
So, now all I have to do is fill in the blank space with reef and fish. I’ll go ahead and block out the bottom so I know where that is. My idea is to lay the viewer down on the sandy ocean bottom, and have them look up at the glorious living reef, and see the sun’s light coming in from above way up at the top.
Now I can really get down to painting.
I can just squeeze the paint out and start whaling. (Is that how you spell it? Maybe, wailing?) All along the way I’ve inserted my sea creatures where they told me they wanted to go. Notice the sea turtle, spade fish school, lionfish, Nassau grouper, pair of angelfish and wrasses. I’m sure there are a few more critters in there. Meanwhile, I’m painting, painting, painting, almost in a daze. Good thing I have lots of paint!
Here’s the TOP and BOTTOM, so far… put them together and that’s the whole painting: 10 feet by 5.5 feet.
top part
bottom part
Very soon, I am going to remove it from it’s contraption, hang it over the porch railing from upstairs, and see how it looks.
More to come. It has been super fun so far!
Kim
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