TM8671 Swell 36×36 oil on panel

Unlike the boisterous waves crashing in my earlier paintings, Swell presents the quieter energy of a swell approaching the beach. The calm feeling comes from crisscrossing patterns and multitudes of subtle blues. At the same time, this is a wall of water, and close to the viewer, so when it does break, look out. A corner of bare sand on the lower left will give you a piece of safe footing. Details below. Enjoy.

Technical painting notes: I started this painting with a roll up of dark blue paint, much like a monoprint. I dripped and spattered mineral spirits on the surface to create a subtle texture, and used a plastic bag to streak the paint. when the initial layer was dry, I used a palette knife and to spread the paint (into which I had mixed Liquin impasto medium). Before it dried, I used a large, soft wash brush to spread the paint and layer glazes .  Once this layer dried, I glazed, then painted into the wet glaze to define the water  patterns. Another spritz of mineral spirits provided a slight bubbly pattern in the water.