Icy Dunes

"Icy Dunes"
Oil on canvas panel, 8" x 10"
On the central coast of California we have a succulent which grows everywhere. The closer it is to the sea, it turns these incredible shades of red. We call it 'Ice Plant.' I am not sure of the real latin name, but that is what we call it. Mixed with the greens and yellows, the sand dunes are covered partially with it and are eye popping gorgeous! I have always dreamt of painting the dunes' mystical undulations and the colors and patterns of the ice plant. Here is the first one.
After spending a few hours with Richard Schmidt in his book, "Alla Prima," I have been growing ever conscious of edges. That is some subject!! As a career watercolor painter, edges are something a bit new. While lost and found edges are something we work with in watercolor, oil painting is different. I am glad I have had the opportunity to hone my thinking (and painting) skills around this subject. I can see a difference in all my work as a result of this study. Elio Camacho gave me a stinkin' crit once about edges. Ever since then I have been very conscious of them. Not that I am good at it yet. I can see they are a big deal! They can make or break a painting.

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