February 9, 2011

Little R & R Hawaiian Style Painting

Aloha Vast I am new here!  My name is Kathy McCartney

You can buy this original painting and see all my other work on sale here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/TropicalExpression
http://www.mccartneyfineart.com/      You can contact me direct by visiting my contact page.

Here is my big painting “Little R & R Hawaiian Style.”  Oh I feel like I a fibber for posting I was done with this particular painting.  I should know better!  This was a live blog challenge for me.  Whenever I do a painting, and any artist for that matter, it is important to let the painting sit for a week or more before you call it done.  I did feel like this painting was complete for the blog challenge, but every day I looked at the painting and felt there was something missing.  I was too busy to return to the painting until just now.  The painting felt flat.  It lacked intensity in color and contrast.  When the bright colors dry they sometimes get flat or darker.  I felt her flesh highlights needed more warmth.  The skirt and head lei needed more intensity as well.  I wanted a bright cheery painting with a lot of complimentary colors.  I brightened the red on her waist band and top.  The contrast of light and dark are important to get that pop and three dimensional feel.  I darkened the wet sand to make the water stand out and to not compete with the color of the skirt.  I could add something in the sand next to her.  But I don't feel like it.  So it is done.  Besides this painting can be cropped later for prints etc.  You can read my previous posts to see the progress of this painting by visiting my tropical expression blog:  http://mccartneytropicalexpressions.blogspot.com/  This is my first post to Vast.

I recently stayed in beautiful Kauai, Hawaii January 2011.  

I am on Face Book to please Like Me :)  

Aloha!

Kathy McCartney