SOLD TM8528 At Last! 20×30 oil on panel

At Last! That’s what I’ll say when winter is over. With a prediction of 18-24 inches of snow in the next 2 days, it won’t be soon, but this little lily, with her sunshine-warmed face will help me remember that summer returns. Details below. Enjoy.

Technical painting notes: The original idea was to paint a lily in her element. I began by rolling a warm (burnt sienna) and cool (black and umber) combination of loose paints onto the panel. While it was wet, I manipulated the paint with oil and mineral spirits, streaking the paint, spritzing it, re-rolling the surface, wiping out the lily forms with a paper towel, then, as the thinner evaporated out, re-streaking the surface and spritzing again. Why? I wanted to create a strong, distinctively marked pattern on the panel, one that would be interesting to manipulate with additional colors, bold enough to show through later glazes. When the panel was dry to the touch (a few days later), I began glazing color onto the surface. I also started to develop some detail in the flower, and suggest the lily pads. Again, I wanted to keep the abstract textural interest while bringing into focus a few choice specifics that would define the space. I introduced ripples in the water as a compositional device, directing the eye across the length of the image while providing a recognizable pattern. The ripples also gave me an excuse to bring neutral cool grays into the painting, suggesting reflected sky but also working to balance all the warmth.

TM8528 At Last! – close-up of lily