TM8227 Song at Land's End 31.75 x 50 oil on panel

Song at Land’s End – where does the land end? Every minute the line changes as tides enter and fall back. The wealth of life along the edge, over and around the rocks, is as richly rewarding to paint as the mysterious sea and sky. Enjoy!

Painting techniques – When deciding on the size a painting will be, the artist has to consider whether the impact should engulf the viewer or be intimate, almost gem-like, something to ponder at hand. Another consideration is the subject – is there enough information to “fill” a large composition (of course interesting brushwork is also one way to fill the space). I want my large compositions to work both  ways – immersing the viewer in the space, looking grand from a distance, but also providing another, more intimate and scintillating experience up close, where the color and brushwork become evident. Big paintings call for sweeping gestures, and are especially well-suited to broad areas of subtle glazing. The sky in this painting has many layers of glaze to modulate the range of blues and grays. Tip – when painting a large area of graded color that will need hours of blending, work on a cold day with the heat turned way down. The paint will “set up” much more slowly, and you will have time to experiment with multiple layers of blended color. (Probably one reason artists are depicted with berets and fingerless gloves!)