Friday, March 20, 2015

New Painting


A few weeks ago, I was asked by an old friend to do a painting.  I knew him when I was in high school, and missed him when he moved away.  It is always good to hear from him, and when he wanted me to do a painting for him, I was more than glad to.  But, he wanted something big.  And big for me is a little scary.  I never like to spend several days working on something, then have it get away from me in the end.  And for big paintings, that possibility is greatly increased.  I have spent a week or more on something, and have it end up being a waste of time and paper.  But, I was up for the challenge this time.  My friend has a brother who is a great photographer, and he chose an image from a shot his brother had taken to be the basis for the painting.  And I went to work.  Two weeks later, I finish the painting, and am so happy with the result.  I liked it so much, I started another painting the same size, because I liked the impact it had.  This may have sparked a whole new enthusiasm for large work.  Now I just need to find a good place for 30 x 40" frames.

Anyways, I want to thank Jon Petty for getting me out of my comfort zone with the size of the painting, and his brother Nathan Petty for supplying such a great image.  Please check out more of Nathan's photography work at nathanpetty.com

"Left"
Watercolor 22 x 30"

3 comments:

  1. Jesse, thanks! I love this watercolor painting. I can't wait to get it into my study. (First I need to get a study, then I need to pick it up from Nathan.) This is a visible reminder of the power of the ocean. Not just the size, which all surfers watch so carefully, but the power of consistency -- something worth emulating. This will now always remind me of a great lesson and a great friend whose art I happen to love. Thanks for the all the hard work you put into this.

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  2. This is gorgeous! And I'm sure the photo on the website doesn't do it justice. Glad to see you stepping out of your comfort zone...gives me inspiration!

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words. I appreciate the encouragement.

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