how wonderful yellow is

What a tricky painting this was! The beginning layers of ochre gave me a start, but it wasn’t quite right. I felt a bit discouraged at first, because nothing was turning out the way I thought it would. As I spent time with this piece, I added additional layers of lighter yellow - softening the depth and bringing the focus back to the sunny elements I wanted to represent.

Think of how different the sunshine feels throughout the year. Bright but chilly in the winter, and warm, rich, and buttery in the summer evenings. This exploration brings me through all these layers and I am so pleased by the final outcome.

In all my paintings, you’ll see final marks made with charcoals, pastels, and even scratches made directly in the wet paint. What’s your favorite detail element?

prominence: a solar prominence (also known as a filament when viewed against the solar disk) is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun’s surface.