Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Starting a New Painting: Warming Hut

I started working on my next painting today. Actually, I had started last week at Dean's, but only got so far as toning the canvas and sketching the image. Today was the first time that I applied any paint to it. :)

The subject is a place that's near and dear to my heart, and it's a pretty place to boot. It's the Warming Hut Park Store and Cafe in Crissy Field. It is the location from where most of my team's training walks start, and was the inspiration for the team name, The Warming Hut Hotties. The team name was retired last year, after it's tenth year, and after having raised over $3 Million towards multiple breast cancer walks.

I always thought the view of and from the Warming Hut is one of the most beautiful in the City. You just can't beat it - whether it's a clear and sunny day, or even if it's cold and foggy. It's a classic San Francisco setting. The vantage point of this image is from the last stretch of a training walk, as we walk back to the Warming Hut. I've considered painting an image from this spot for several months now, so I'm happy to be starting it now.

I painted from home today, a first since the hat painting last year! My painting instructor, Dean, will be away traveling (and teaching)for the next several weeks. I think this is good timing, as I've been meaning to start painting at home again, to try to get into a rhythm here on my own.

Today was "fill the canvas day", meaning, I just wanted to fill the canvas with color to get the basic elements and shapes up. I actually took the time to mix and match my paint colors before I started today, which I haven't done on "fill the canvas day" in a while (if at all!). I think the result is good. It looks like it's further along after the first session than some of my other recent paintings. It's just a thin layer of paint so far, just to get some color in right places.

There's still a long way to go, but it's a start!


The canvas, toned, with the rough image drawn in with pencil


My palette of mixed paints ready to go!


end of session 1

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