Wave Study #40 and a Full Bulletin Board

Another pearly gray day today but with the addition of a stiff North wind blowing rain sideways on the beach. Not good painting conditions at all but I did spend time just studying the waves. That is always a joy. 

 Here is Wave Study #40, done yesterday:

©2013 R.L. Delight, Wave Study #40, 6"x8", oil on canvas

If you look at Wave Study #39 posted yesterday you will see some similarities and slightly different skies. The sky changes by the minute. Since water reflects the sky, I start a seascape painting with the sky. That also gives me a reference to judge the proper values of the water too.
Wave Study #40 is the final study that will fit on my bulletin board. Here it is, all filled up:

©2013 R.L. Delight, Wave Study Bulletin Board.

The first one is on the top left and the fortieth one on the bottom right. There is a painting out of order and that is the one on the bottom left. It was painted plein air on a panel instead of the canvas of the others. The first two were also painted on panels that had been toned with burnt sienna. The first fifteen canvases were on the hemp fabric that I gessoed which were quite rough. The rest are on the pre-primed canvas sheets I got from Utrecht in pads.

I really enjoy looking at the paintings in my studio this way. Sometimes it can get discouraging learning to paint the sea from life but when I stop and look, I am satisfied that I am making progress. 

I will need to take these down to start the next batch. I need to find a good way to store these little studies so that I can easily access them for reference.

I am so enjoying painting these studies that I am considering turning them into a painted journal of a year on the coast, which would mean I would need to continue well beyond 100 studies even with not painting a painting a day.

I will have to think about it. This weekend (Sunday, Monday) is time for friends and community. I will have a few new things to share on my next post on Tuesday.