lolling on the beach

For me, painting a beach is the next best thing to being there.  Sounds crazy?  Maybe.  But as I paint, I picture the place I am painting in my mind.  It helps me to create, yes, but it also evokes an emotion.  And all this together is a way to relax.  I never get so wound up in the technical aspects of painting that I lose that image.

You will find, as you paint, and paint, and paint some more, that you will become comfortable with mixing paint, and what sizes and types of brushes to use, what size to make the painting, and so on.

Once you reach that point, begin to try to keep a mental image of what you are painting.  Close your eyes and think about it.

For me, I could hear the waves rolling into the beach.  I heard the cacophony of the gulls overhead.  The wind was blowing the clouds by, and rustling the leaves of the palm tree I was sitting under.  And the sun was blazing down on the sand, warming it under my feet.  I could smell the salt air, and a total feeling of peace and quiet took over my mind.

And I put all those thoughts into the brush that laid the paint down.

Landscapes are so...therapeutic.  Hope you have a chance to lay on a beach like broccoli this summer.  I plan to.....with a good book and a margarita in hand.

Have fun!  Enjoy the hazy, lazy, crazy days of summer.

Too soon, they come to an end.....