In 2013 I painted a rather large canvas (30 x 40) for a show I was having with a group a artist friends that I paint with - Bay Area Studio Artists or BASA. The show was titled "Shades of California" and I painted a beach scene from my beloved Lake Tahoe.
However, I made the umbrella RED! I thought at the time that it added a snap of color!
......And it was used for the Marketing of our show.
I never liked the painting and I couldn't put my finger on why - other than the colors of the water were too intense and maybe everything was too saturated? It was not calming like I feel when I am on this beach.
I changed the water and made the stripes of the umbrella more defined. Still no.....
So I have had it stored in a back room but often wondered what I could do to improve this painting.
Move forward to 2016 - last week. I was getting ready for an upcoming show in Danville at Chow and I thought about a painting for their large wall.
I began to work with the photo of the painting in PhotoShop. I changed that awful purple-blue of the shadows from the chairs, removed the flip-flops (because it always made me wonder where that person went to?), and I lowered the horizon. Better.....but.......
Then I decided the umbrella was too stiff and needed a slight breeze.....so I changed the shape. Mmmm.....still not working.
I changed it to blue, then taupe and finally solid white. Better but not feeling light and breezy!
Then yesterday morning I noticed our white canvas umbrellas on the back deck and snapped a photo. I could see the colors coming through the under part of it as well as the changes in the fabric as it moved from post to post. I also received a catalog the day before with a selection of umbrellas so I combined my backyard photo and the catalog stripes and here it is...............
I added the hint of a turquoise line at the horizon and poof! So soothing....
I feel so much better. It was a tough challenge but I stuck with it and am very happy with how it turned out. Time to give it a title.....
"Remember…. The entrance to the sanctuary is in you." - Rumi
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