On the Easel: House at the Beach

This painting, entitled "House at the Beach," is one I completed this month. The work does not depict an actual scene; instead, it is a work of imagination using a variety of visual sources. The Victorian-style house is loosely based on two different houses I photographed while living in Columbus, Ohio from 1996 to 1999. The beach scene is a compilation of imagery I sketched and photographed along the Pacific Coast during a trip to California in September of this year.

Originally, I planned this canvas as a night scene. However, early in the painting process I decided to convert to a late afternoon time period. This allowed me to focus on the effect created from sunlight hitting the brick facade of the structure. The right side of the building was painted primarily in Utrecht Cadmium Orange Hue Series 2. I have used Utrecht paints since my college days in the mid 1980s when an art instructor at the University of Maryland, Richard Klank, recommended them in my first painting course. My basic pallet includes Utrecht White, Naples Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Naples Yellow Hue, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Orange Hue, Cadmium Red Hue (mixture), Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Phthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue Hue and Green Earth Hue (mixture).

"House at the Beach." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches, completed in December 2008.