I started work on a new abstract painting commission this week. Hurricane Sandy did a lot of damage to downstate NY, especially coastal regions, but we were spared most of it here upstate in the Fingerlakes region. I filled buckets with water, got the candles and flashlights ready, and charged up my cell-phone, but never lost power.
I just talked to a friend in Bloomfield, New Jersey, who said a huge tree on her block was split down the middle by the storm. She will venture out today for the first time.
This commissioned painting is based on one I sold, Abstract Art Twenty-One. But this one will be the same size, shape and colors, so it is not a huge challenge. The challenge will be to make it similar yet original, with its own sense of movment and energy.
In this first step, I painted in the background, beginning with burnt sienna and burnt umber. Next I added the cadmium red light and cadmium orange. Finally, I filled in the background with unbleached titanium, mixing it with the other colors as I did.
