TM8463 Let the Moments Last 36×36 oil on panel

The return of light and sun signals spring – that too transient time of year when life bursts through and the outdoors beckons. At my pond in the woods, spring means sunlight sifting through the branches and dappling the water’s surface. The shadows are still quite long, and the beginnings of duckweed and pollen are creating their  own intricate mosaic patterns. If only I could “borrow” another month of this joyful season. Since I can’t, I pretend, and this week I put myself squarely into spring with the painting Let the Moments Last. I incorporated early spring, with its profusive light through the somewhat bare trees, and a couple of weeks later, showing the return of green and growth. In a painting, you can slide time. Details are below. Enjoy!

TM8463 Let the Moments Last – detail of falling leaf

TM8463 Let the Moments Last – detail from left side with shadow and sunlight patterns of the water

TM8463 Let the Moments Last – detail from right side showing slight current with floating leaves, reflections, sunlight on the water

TM8463 Let the Moments Last – detail from bottom of painting with blue sky reflected and spatter effects used to emulate pollen and duckweed

Technical painting notes: I started this painting by rolling on colors, as with all my recent paintings. But I’ve been experimenting more with spatter – thinning the paint and carefully directing the spatter to suggest pollen, dust, young duckweed, etc. I use Liquin in the paint mixture to speed the drying, plus a touch of mineral spirits. I use old nylon watercolor brushes for a fine spray, tapping the handle against either my hand or another brush. For bigger drips, I use looser paint. For much bigger drips with slightly less control, I use an old chip brush (especially useful on the first layer, when I’m trying to get a lot done over the whole panel before the paint tacks up). Using a few mixed colors, never one, gives a more natural effect. Nature never repeats itself. With practice, an old paint brush can be more effective than airbrushing.

NOTE! A revised version of Let the Moments Last can be seen at the post Let the Moments Last (revised).