Painted March 2021. 12″x12″. Acrylic on Cradled Wood Panel. $144.00 Canadian Unframed.
My focus on this painting was to work on my skills blending acrylic paint. The reference photo was taken as the sun set, so there were lots of soft shadows to practice on. This is the 4th portrait I’ve painted of Mitch (no he doesn’t have any say in the matter) and I think he actually likes this one because I didn’t paint in any wrinkles. There’s a relaxed feel to this painting that I really like. I think I copped out on the background. I chose a blue and it really needed a warmer sunset background. I guess I could paint over the blue, but to get the soft background that I’m thinking of, I need to do some vigorous blending and I know that I’d start mucking up the face. I’d kind of like to do a full figure portrait from this reference photo, so I’ll wait until that painting to resolve the background problem.
Mitch was ruminating at sunset on the beach in Cabo Polonio, Uruguay. This little town is the craziest neo-hippy, off the grid (sort of) beach town you’ll ever see. I’ve got a couple more paintings of this place in me that are screaming to be let out.
