Water, Water Everywhere

I took the photo that inspired this painting last year, on a cold day at the beach. I didn't get around to painting it until this year, on an extremely hot day at home.
Looking around at the finished pieces and works in progress sitting around my kitchen, I realized that every one of them had a common element: water. Even my landscapes have a bit of water in them. I thought back to my high school days, when I first really tried to make paintings of my own. I remembered that they usually had some water or waves in them too.
I don't live near water, but it's not too far to drive to the beach. I'm also happy to paint swimming pools, ponds, and lakes. I'm not sure what it is about water, but a painting feels much more comfortable to me if it has some in it.
One thing I've learned about painting all these water scenes is the importance of shadow under the light. Even the brightest reflection on water needs that shadowy element to give it depth. I end up u…
Looking around at the finished pieces and works in progress sitting around my kitchen, I realized that every one of them had a common element: water. Even my landscapes have a bit of water in them. I thought back to my high school days, when I first really tried to make paintings of my own. I remembered that they usually had some water or waves in them too.
I don't live near water, but it's not too far to drive to the beach. I'm also happy to paint swimming pools, ponds, and lakes. I'm not sure what it is about water, but a painting feels much more comfortable to me if it has some in it.
One thing I've learned about painting all these water scenes is the importance of shadow under the light. Even the brightest reflection on water needs that shadowy element to give it depth. I end up u…