New Work: Sunset over the Hilltop

Sunset over the Hilltop  oil on canvas, 36  72 inches  sold, private collection

Large canvases allow you a lot of room to work and explore. This canvas was all about that sun and how the light and color changes across this 6 foot space.

Some of the original sketch work is visible in the sky. Since there was a lot of area to cover, I used a number of arbitrary colors for the sky just to keep it interesting. Then I left it alone and kept working on the rest of the oil, purposely avoiding the impulse to add something to the sky in the early stages.

Once the rest of the painting evolved, the sky just got better all by itself. Last, I concentrated on creating more light and glow over the entire surface.