Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Sweeping View of Trinidad From the South


"Sweeping View of Trinidad from the South" by Andrew Daniel
18" x 24" oil on canvas
Contact artist 

My initial impulse when I looked at this scene was to try and communicate how high up I was above the crashing surf and how far off I could see. So I imagined a bird flying over this sweeping foreground hill side, then out over the surf and across the bay. The huge Trinidad Head in the background appears small in the distance. Also, I was interested in how the colors and plant life were waking up from the dormant tans of winter and various flowers were coming back. The surf was oh so challenging to paint. It needed a sense of movement, a compositional harmony, a graceful gesture and a range of textures to create the volume. This turned out to be a complex puzzle that could only be resolved through several layers, each pulling out more expressive qualities while mellowing out others. I think I might take a few months off of surf paintings now...

Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Performance Anxiety


"Performance Anxiety" by Andrew Daniel
22" x 18" oil on canvas 
Contact artist

One of the things I enjoy about working in a group to share a model is that I am so often surprised by the result! I was initially looking forward to painting this models tutu. There is something that is so fun about making paint look airy and full of movement. By about half way through her expression had evolved into one of concern, not sure why, her actual expression was much more cheerful. 

Perhaps I had inner worries that were being projected onto her! In a way this could be a self portrait... Myself in a woman's body, dressed up for the big moment but anxious about wether I'll do a good job!