The Blues

"The Blues"

Image Size 22" x 15"

Acrylic

This didn't start out being a wave, but it seems to have morphed into a suggestion of one.  I chose a  paper with a surface I had previously textured using thick and thin gesso over a painting that I didn't like.  I really hate wasting paper!  ; )  Since I didn't like the colors that were peeking through, I began layering colors and playing with creating texture and this is what it became. 

It's been pretty hot here this week so I guess this is my unconscious attempt to cool things down a bit.   

I love the texture in this painting and the feeling of movement that it creates.  All of the layers don't show in this photo, but up close the layers make this painting very interesting.

Crest

"Crest"

Image Size 6" x 6"

Encaustic

This week's painting is an abstracted wave.  I layered many different colors as a base and let them peek through the blues in the top layer.

Encaustic Spray

"Encaustic Spray"

Image size 8" x 24"

Encaustic

I really disliked last week's painting, so it no longer exists!  I painted this over the red wave.  The colors were just too disturbing for a wave.  Greens and blues are much more soothing.

I wasn't sure what would happen when I tried to layer over the red and orange.  Since orange is the compliment of blue, I was afraid that I would end up with mud.  I was pleasantly surprise to find that the colors didn't really mix.  I love how the bits of red and orange are peeking through.  That gives a nice energy to the painting.

The foam on the crest of the wave is very textural, which reads nicely in person.

Red Wave

"Red Wave"

Image size 8" x 24"

Encaustic

This idea looked much better in my head.  I wanted to paint another wave but use totally different colors and see if it still read as a wave.  What do you think?  I haven't decided yet.  It was a nice experiment though.  I used the same colors in the sky as in the wave and they were competing too much so I put a couple coats of clear medium to knock the color back.  Even though the medium is clear, because it is wax, it is cloudy when it cools.