Wednesday, June 11, 2008

PLEIN AIR STUDY BY TOM BROWN






“OIL RIG ON A STORMY DAY AT HUNTINGTON BEACH”

Never put off a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity until next time. Huntington Beach is officially known as “Surf City” but it wasn’t surfer-friendly this day. The ocean was roiling and storm clouds were moving too fast for comfort. But the mood was priceless and I wanted to capture it while I could.

Bad news! When I reached for my paints I discovered I was out of art panels! I ripped the cardboard off the back of a pad of paper and clamped it into my paintbox. In moments my palette knife was swirling faster than the ocean and my heart was pounding louder than the surf. “Bam!,” as Emeril would say. Got it; just in time.

The oil rig off the coast is barely recognizable here but I was comfortable with that because the weather was so heavy it was barely visible to the naked eye. This study borders on abstract but it captures the mood of the moment. The painted area measures just a bit over 3 inches wide but click the image for a larger view and have a closer look. All the colors of the ocean are preserved in this little gem.

I don’t know quite how to price this little study, but if you’re interested in owning it email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net and we’ll work it out.

Artists: This Saturday I will teach a special Plein Air class in Orange County focusing on the relationship between palette knife paintings and typical gallery paintings done with brushes. The two methods of painting are interconnected on many levels and this promises to be an interesting workshop. Artists living in the area are welcome to join me. Email for details: tombrownstudio@cox.net.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Stormy weather

1 Comments:

Blogger Ann Reyes said...

You certainly got the feel of the storm! Very nice!

7:00 AM  

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