One Down, Two To Go

Joy
7x7

acrylic on canvas
sold

Here is the first of three paintings I am working on that have been commissioned by a neighbor (sorry about the slight glare across the top of the canvas). Her husband is celebrating a big birthday this summer and she wanted me to paint his pride and joy... a pond in their back yard that he has designed and laboured over (actually I'm pretty sure his baby grand-daughter is his official pride and joy, but the pond is a close second!). After she approached me, I gave the project some thought and then suggested that instead of one large painting I could do three smaller paintings with each one focusing on a detail of the pond. She loved that idea and that quickly became the plan. I really hope it turns out the way I see it in my mind's eye because she is completely trusting me on this one.

I have to say, this little painting has been glazed within an inch of it's life! I wanted to build up the colour of the water to give it depth and richness- especially against the bright, bold  colours of the fish. In the photos she provided for me, the water looked black and I wanted to avoid such extreme darkness in the painting. I'm pretty happy with the result; I really like the composition and how the colours are working together. Once the other two pieces are finished I may have to do a bit of tweaking to make sure they will work as a group.

Next up... the water lily... it's beautiful, but the petals are going to mess with my mind!