The Snorkeling Excursion

This painting, done in water soluble oil on a linen canvas, was inspired by a recent trip to Hawaii. Aboard a boat headed to a snorkeling coral reef, I was struck by how the morning sun, coming in from the right, was landing on the faces, arms and legs of these passengers, accentuating their forms. I caught these passengers in poses that were each different. The I varied the dark tones with warmer ones, and varied shades of blue and green, with burnt sienna, burnt umber and orange for skin tones. The volcanic mountain formed a perfect backdrop for the painting.