Caribbean Waters and Rocks Oil Painting

After painting a snow scene, my painting's topic gets tropical. I've had enough of winter, and I'm dreaming of returning to the Caribbean this spring. This little canvas is from a photo I took of Devil's Bay, on the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. The whole point of the painting is that beautiful clear turquoise water that I am so ready to wade into. I got the colors of the hot boulders and water so perfectly I just want to drink it. Or at least I want to drink a rum cocktail while swimming in it.

Beach Painting, Cloudy With Waves

I've enjoyed two things recently: painting the beach at Atlantic City NJ, and replicating Winslow Homer's ocean paintings. So here's another beach scene. It is a copy of a photograph so I am required to attribute Fir002/Flagstaffotos for their wonderful photograph that served as reference. I love the simplicity of it and the sectioning of the composition into thirds. It gave me a chance to paint waves and clouds. It is another small 5 by 7 inch canvas.

Atlantic City Miniature

 

To escape the winter weather, let's go to Atlantic City for today's painting subject. This beach scene was painted on a 5 by 7 inch canvas board, which might not seem miniature when painting life-sized strawberries but it is quite another matter to capture the shore on such a small space. Antonio Mancini did it on his 6 by 9 inch panel, and I strive to emulate the masters.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky that day; the air was breezy and hot. I cooled off in the casinos that night. Maybe tomorrow I'll paint myself getting back the stacks of chips that I lost.

How to Paint Like Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer was arguably the most well-known and best of American painters in the 19th century. He painted such masterpieces as Breezing Up (or a Fair Wind), which I have endeavored to replicate for the second time.

You can't really see the deep Viridian sea-green in the waves so the photo doesn't do it justice. Of course the same can be said for the photo of the original or any painting, which must be seen in person to get the full effect.