The weather was beautiful for early March in Calgary, and the light came through the windows at MICHELANGELO GALLERY; it was a perfect spot to set up my easel.  I was excited to have a full day to paint and with an audience, that is especially fun. I enjoy the interaction while creating.  Verbalizing my thought process seems to come easy for me and with a million decisions to be made with each brush stroke there is a lot to talk about while working on a painting.    

I started with a strong composition so I would be ready to paint at the Gallery

I started the painting around 11 am with several layers of acrylic glazes.  I love how the colors interact with each other on the canvas; tones and tints that will create a soft misty feel in the background.  For several hours I worked on each section of the painting; continuing to maintain unity in the overall composition and more importantly controlling the influx of color that was now on the canvas.  Initially my main focus remains on establishing a light source and re-establishing shapes that balance the composition. Within each area of the canvas I worked on details; big and small, positive and negative shapes, establishing the light, shadows and creating contrast in several ways to create depth.  This requires a clear vision of what you want to accomplish.   The process is complex and doesn't often succeed without a concise effort. 

  As the late afternoon approached I decided its probably a good time to pack up and step away from the painting till another day.  I like the shapes of the logs in front; I spent substantial amount of time working in this area to establish depth and details as I felt it was an important part of the overall composition.  I like the light in the background and the beginning of the reflective colors in the foreground water.  More work is needed in the grass/ground areas and my initial thought is to continue to brighten some of the colors which can be worked in as highlights.

After completing the painting back in my studio; I decided to name it 'In the Background'. I like the idea of using a title that reflects on my favorite part of the painting.  Here is detail of my brushwork; can you find where it is in the painting?

~ Sheila

See more of Sheila's Art on my website