My next class project was an ocean sunset with three catamarans in the distance. In the photo, I was attracted by a pink glow in the sky with some very soft clouds, and the reflection of the sunlight in the water. It looked simple, but turned out to be quite challenging and my painting fell far short of what I imagined it to be. But at least I tried to get more of the effects of the photo than Ron did in his demonstration.
For our last project of the season, we worked from another of Ron's photos, one of a man standing somewhere in Mexico. We all seem to be reluctant to paint scenes with people, because it is so obvious when they don't look right, but I am usually surprised that it is not really that hard to just paint what I see. At our last class, after finishing this painting, we had our usual potluck and then Larry, Cheryl, Lynn and I played some music to entertain the class.
One day out at the ranch near Livermore where we board our horses, I noticed this horse looking very stark black and white against the muted colors of an overcast day, and shot a photo with my phone with the idea of painting it. The horse is a gypsy vanner, a breed from the British Isles used to pull wagons. Most of this painting was done quite fast and loose, and I am quite pleased with the result.
