PLAYTIME CAN PRODUCE GREAT PAINTINGS!
I was just playing around one afternoon moving paint around on my canvas, seeking to depict sunlit water. Specifically of the ocean waves, etc. We live near the Atlantic Ocean and see people playing in the waves every day. Many are vacationers with their families and I wanted another series of paintings that these visitors would want as memories of their time spent at the ocean.
Well, my playing around produced results! I ended up depicting silhouettes of different families against the bright water. They are not complete silhouettes, as they are in bright colored clothes and all the people are wearing yellow hats as my signature of this series. I named the series "BY THE SEA". The first one was 11 x 14 and I fell in love! A family of three are playing at the waters edge with puddles of water in the sand casting long shadows behind them. They are simple but powerful statements of a happy family and vacation rolled into one. Yay!
I showed the painting to the gallery owner I work with here in St Augustine, and like me she was instantly taken by the scene. She asked for as many as I could make and she also wanted the 11 x 14. I had wanted to keep the first one, but I'm not going to argue! I got busy and painted the first 10 smaller size paintings. Since most people want something small enough to fit into luggage, I made them 5 x 5 and mounted them in white 10 x 10 frames with a wide mat. This showcases the artwork well. I needed it to seem larger because these took longer to paint and thus required a higher price. It is a trick often used to justify a price. We wanted them priced below $100 to sell more. On the back of each is the name "BY THE SEA" series, then my signature and the statement "this is an original piece of art" written in silver.
Below is the photo of the 11 x 14 painting I named "Making Memories" and "By the Sea" series #1. Enjoy it and I will return soon with more blogs!
