Rainy Sunset

I took some pictures after a rain here in the desert because of the great puddles that we so rarely have. I took the photo into Corel Painter 11 to get rid of a lot of the distraction.

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Then I started to lay down some colors for under painting. This is really the ugly stage and I am definitely reducing the amount of orange and increasing crimsons, violets and blues.

Nice start Judy.

Love your sunsets.
Dayle

Thanks Janet and Dayle.

Hope you guys are staying warm. I was watching the sunrise early this morning and picked up on the blend of lavenders to ochres which gradually progressed to the pinks and oranges. I almost jumped up out of bed to capture the colors on canvas, but then I decided it was still a little cool in the house for painting. It did give me a little nudge to think about plein air painting early one morning once it starts to warm up again.

This painting might take one a vey dramatic change if I can make it happen. I'll post my progress as it goes.

I got a chance to do some more work on this. This is still not the finished layers. The distant mountains look a little pale right now, but I did that so I can wash over them with more of the yellow and sienna to get the proper feel of the glow of the sun on them, once the paint is dry enough to glaze over. I haven't even touched the foreground yet.

Fascinating series of steps Judy. Hard to believe that your atreet photo is the source for this painting, as you are transforming it so much. Can't wait to see more!

Very nice... love how you are working the orange and red...

I've been working on trying not to make things look like photographs anymore, just using them to give me ideas. It was something that was stressed when I took Johannes landscape course. I just finished his water course and am working on his painting mountains and also his live course going on now on painting skies. In February he is going to do waterfalls. These courses are now being given free or you can purchase previous courses for a reasonable cost for Northern Lights.

Here's the link: http://improvemypaintings.com/

Thank you both for your comments. It is drying for a day or two before I proceed, but I'll post the progress.

Here's the next edition. Still a long way to go but making progress.

Definitely prettier than any scenes in my area today:) Keep up the good work!

Very nice imagination... I like how you have changed suburbia into shrubberies...

Keep on painting... waiting for your final revelation...

MG

You really have talent, Judy.
Dayle

Thank you all. I made quite a few revisions today, but I'm going to wait until daylight tomorrow to photograph it. It is progressing slowly but surely.

Here's the tentatively finished painting. I still have to look at it for a few days to tweak a few things.Any comments on things that might need changing would be appreciated.

Hi Judy:

Looking good...

FT

Judy your painting is beautiful!

Thanks FT and Janet. I've been looking at the painting over the past few days, and I still have some changes to make in areas that I don't like, minor changes mainly the shoreline again and some of the reflections.

Love the colours and the drama of the sky. The cactus surprised me, as I wasn't expecting them. It's been so long since I've seen a real cactus that it has become a very exotic plant in my world.
I am amazed at the journey that this painting has taken since its beginning. Bravo!

We are surrounded by the saguaro cactus around here. Even many of the homes in the neighborhoods have them in their front yards. They are what identify the desert as a desert.

Right from the first photo I took, I planned on the saguaros but kept them as a surprise.
I call it "Sunrise After the Rain" and in Fine Art America where it is available for purchase, I describe it as follows:, "This southwestern art depicts the sunrise in the desert after the rain. By midday, unless it rains more, most of this will all dry up and only a path of sand will remain."

I've been working on a few revisions so I'll hold on posting it in "Completed Paintings" until I feel it is really done.