Unleashing Creativity: The Evolution of “Skinny Dipping”
In the world of art, pushing past one's limitations and embracing creativity can lead to unexpected and beautiful outcomes. This was the case with my recent piece, "Skinny Dipping." What began as a challenge to myself turned into a journey of discovery as I allowed the painting to guide me.
In my most recent work, I challenged myself to try some new techniques and push past my comfort zone. Specifically, I wanted to try using an underpainting, which I have used in the past with colored pencils, but never pastel. I also wanted to see what I could do with just spending more time with a piece, primarily in the early stages of the painting, trying to fine tune my shapes and values.
At a certain point I put the reference image away and that’s when I really got to start having some fun. Flowers emerged from the paper that I had never seen, and that is when I started to consider the title for the work. I initially wanted to name it "One for Grandma," because as I was painting I just knew that she would have really loved it, but it ultimately lost out to “Skinny Dipping,” as I imagined the scene a perfect spot for a carefree dip in the water. Some secret place that only the viewer (and maybe a friend or two) had ever been to.
Take a look at the reference image, underpainting, and final product to see the evolution of the piece. What emotions and thoughts does this beautiful location evoke for you?
