Portrait of a Palm, daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Portrait, 2013, JoAnn Sanborn

oil on board, 7"x5"

 

It might interest you to see the progression of  a daily painting.  The one above is the final product, signed and ready to be framed for sale in the studio and shown in my gallery at Daily Paintworks.  It is a painting of a single Everglades palm, worked in oil on board over several hours, each time refined until I was happy with the outcome.  

 

I thought I might be done when I finished the second version, but analysis showed it needed more work.  The lack of a light source weakens the whole, so in the final version shadows added beneath the canopy add dimension, and the grasses are integrated and balanced with the canopy.  As you move down the page you will see the progression from the bottom up.   

 

In this second pass, color is added to the grasses and canopy.  Compliments of purple and yellow add a little zing to the ground, while adding some color character and adding connection between the grass and the tree.

My goal was to portray a single palm to show it's character, without the distractions of my usual mantra of palms, water, prairie.  The palm was placed on the canvas with intent to ensure the edges form interesting and varied negative spaces to move your eye around the palm.  At this point the greenery of the palm and the grasses have no real connection and the painting lacks a definable color strategy.