Personal growth experts often talk about "peeling back the onion" refering to discovering your true self. In some ways creating an acrylic painting is like growing an onion, adding layers until the true nature of the painting is revealed. Some paintings grow like magic and others reveal themselves slowly after many adjustments. Ponderosa Spring is one of the latter slow growth landscapes.
This gradual unveiling is largely due to my intuitive technique. Often I'm inspired by an images in my copious archives from photographic expeditions. I view the image, rearrange focus points and study color variations for some time, then I pick up a brush and start painting.
Next I am influenced by the idiosyncrasies of the acrylic medium. Acrylics change color as they dry, so getting the colors just right is often a long drawn out process. Unlike oil, acrylics flatten as they dry, so I often add more texture and layer more paint over it. Acrylic paints also have a strange way of either becoming more dull or garish as they dry. A painting always needs a bit of spice, so I may finish with a touch of interference or irridescent paint. I may also add foil for extra sparkle. conversely some areas may need a complimentary wash to deepen or grey the color.
When a painting doesnt sell in the first round of exhibitions, I ask myself what I can do to make it better. I continually grow in knowledge and my style develops so sometimes I tweak a painting to bring it in line with other paintings in an exhibition. Sometimes I may need a particular season so a painting is altered from spring to winter or summer to fall. This fascinating, evolution eventually results in a painting finding it's forever home.
And there were many more versions.
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All work by Sea Dean protected by International Copyright - No printing, copying, electronic transfer or any form of duplication allowed without written permission from the Artist.