Poppies in Evening (a process)

This is one I'm having a hard time letting go. This was was really a labor of frustration with a happy ending.

Poppies in Evening

Acrylic on canvas board, 8 inches by 10 inches

Available for purchase here

I struggled with this painting. Initially, the poppies looked flat. There were hills and a stream that seemed awkward. The sunset was too pink. OK, do you want to see the wreck of the before?

My eyes are covered now. I can't look anymore. I was tempted to toss it out, but I'd invested so much material on it. With the palette knife, I applied big, bold patches of color.

Yes, that still looks nothing like the final results, but it gave me enough room for a do-over. Look closely, and you can see the shadows of the trees in the background, and the hint of the sun sinking into the horizon. The bunny slope of a hill and the clunky stream are gone. Let's take a look at the end results again for comparison.

My friends, there are A LOT of layers of paint on this one. But by the time I added the black outlines, I was sold that this is how it should be. Have a close up...

It's 100% palette knife work. All of the highlights were carefully scratched on with the tip of the knife. I love the results, and I feel like I'm starting to find my voice on canvas. I really hope this one finds a good home.