Dancing Light Studio

A look through old vacation images produced a photograph from when we stayed at a Michigan cottage. I wanted to paint something that says, "Spring"! The texture of the wooden door and the bricks proved to be a great contrast for the lovely aquas in the tulip plants. The challenge was to make the red tulips stand out against the red brick. In my humble opinion, a painting with no challenge is not a fun painting!

Complimentary color choices can really make a piece sing so it's important to make a decision about what you want to say with the painting in the early stages. This kind of alla prima painting does not work as well with a layered approach, where the artist builds color layer by layer  over a period of time. In a wet on wet approach I like to keep the colors pure and use the brush and knife together to create the textures and harmony.

Back Door Blooms

18" x 14" oil on canvas