The Launch of A New Mexico Cloudscape (Part II)

I've made big strides with the drawing and underpainting for my biggest oil painting to date, "Aero No. 28". Even when working fast, the size of the painting itself makes the process "feel" slower. It's all about scale and doubling the size of the project often, and certainly in this case, more than doubles the work. 
Drawing. Generally getting the proportions and movement of the clouds in the right place.
Not quite the brand I'd use on the asphalt playground as a kid, but soft chalk pastels got things going nicely on this painting.
Acrylic paint underpainting. Giving me some tonal values to guide the application of the oil paint  in the next round.
The acrylic underpainting palette for this step of the painting.
Max painting reach achieved. Big chip brushes help me get a lot of coverage with the acrylics at this stage.
Underpainting Stage | "Aero No. 28" | 70" x 47"
I'm having a lot of fun getting face to face with a painting this big on the wall.

The Creation of A Spanish Cityscape

This week I started my newest painting featuring Toledo, Spain. I visited there in 2012 and was moved by its hilltop setting, its distinct architecture, and the fact that Toledo was the adopted home town of El Greco, one of my favorite painters. Unlike cloudscapes, cityscape paintings require a bit more thought and planning before adding color as evidenced in the photo and time lapse below.

The Launch of A New Mexico Cloudscape (Part I)

This week I embark on a journey to create the largest oil painting I've attempted to date.

Am I ready? Yes. Feeling some trepidation? Um, yeah. Curious to see what happens next? You bet!

Here are some shots of me prepping the raw birch panel for conversion into a big, beautiful, cloud-filled Aeroscape.

The Source: An Afternoon of Dynamic Clouds Over Santa Fe
Sanding the 47" x 70" birch panel that will be the foundation for Aero No. 28. 
Applying the final coat of tinted Liquitex Gesso to the panel.
Primed and on the wall. The beginning of Aero No. 28 (Santa Fe Cloudscape) 
A little grid help to help keep the drawing on point. I am pretty precise with the prep, the drawing, the paint color mixing, BUT…once the paint starts to hit the panel, it becomes an expressive, liberating free-for-all.