It’s great to be back and looking forward to finishing out the year. I’ll be staying with marine/beach theme for a while longer as I continue to work out how to effectively paint sand, sand dunes and grass with oil pastels. While the concentration is on the beach and sand, there will be a wave painting or two to post. Most of the break has been spent experimenting with colors and techniques to achieve convincing sand features, there is more work to do but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy my latest wave painting . . .
The Curl, that is an oil pastel (6×6) painted on an ampersand board. There is something magical about the powerful of the sea and the art of the wave – Mother Nature sure knows how to bring it on!
Can’t help but love this ampersand as a support board, as it’s a great texture for grabbing OPs and awesome with wet underpaintings which is what I did for The Curl. The darks were achieved with Holbeins indigo blue and a touch of Senns Sap green. This little painting was done with a series of layers and minimal blending, using mostly Mungyo-Gallery brand cool colors and a bit of Holbeins warmth in the top portion of the curl. A painters knife came in handy for smearing the texturing the sea-foam.
Looking forward to seeing what everyone’s been up to ~ thank you for checking back in. It is a special community we have here. Click onto the image for a larger view ~
Reference image was from Dana Critchlow an awesome photographer and artist with pmp.
DON’T TAKE MY IMAGES!! MY ART IS COPYRIGHTED.
PLEASE DON’T COPY OR USE MY IMAGE WITHOUT RECEIVING MY PERMISSION FIRST – SEE DISCLOSURE ON THE RIGHT PANEL.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Gorgeous Mary hope you are well
Hi Eunice – so great to hear from you. Thank you very much. I was just wondering how you were and your Mom, of course. Hoping that the warmer weather is helping her overcome her health difficulties. I know you have your hands full with no extra time – hope that you are least able to do some painting. Thanks for visiting, take care ~
I try to paint something daily for my mental health this is going to take a back seat after Wednesday if I have to move my home to her home for her to be at peace.
Dear Mary,
I have just reblogged this one.
Thank you Ashok!
Pingback: The Curl, oil pastel | ashokbhatia
I so enjoy seeing your wonderful paintings, Mary This one is really beautiful. 🙂
Thanks Sylvia – wonderful to see you again! Welcome home from an awesome trip ~
Fantastic!
Thanks Bette!
Gorgeous! Such movement and color and it reminds me of some Japanese art featuring waves. And good for you for reminding people your art is your property!
Thank you so much for your feedback – interesting about the Japanese art. The medium, oil pastels, is perfect for building individual wave scene – for rich colors and blended tones when needed. I’ve had problems with my images being taken, which is why I post the reminder – hasn’t totally stopped, but have noticed a significant drop. Nice to meet you!
I always ask someone if I can download their art before doing so. It’s good manners, let alone the copyright issue.
Mary, this is so beautiful! You have really captured the movement of the water. Love the colors, especially the subtle green hues in the blue. It looks so real I want to run to the beach right now! I hope all is well with you and that you have a wonderful weekend!
Hi Janell, I’m great – thank you for asking. Hope you are doing well also and having a spurt of creativity – looking forward to seeing your art. Thank you so much – ah you caught the blue-green, very cool! I think we could all use that trip to the beach, so stay tuned ~
A very dynamic wave with beautiful colors. i’ ❤
Hi Dsaquarelles, thank you so much for your lovely feedback!! Have a wonderful weekend.
This is one of the most beautiful seascapes I have seen…bravo!!
So generous Holly! Thank you very much ~
Mother Nature may know how to bring it on, but you really know how to do it!!!! This is just lovely Mary! I never tire of seeing your ocean waves. Just terrific. ~Rita
Thanks Rita for your generous response to The Curl – glad you enjoyed the scene!!
Delightful. For what ever reason, this amplified song of your work came to mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffdqNbHU8IA 🙂
Perfect, awesome Beach Boy tune to “catch a wave!” So happy to see you again – glad you liked the piece. Time to go out and catch a wave!!!
Lovely sea colours Mary, and by the number of likes and comments I can see I am not the only one pleased to see you back. 🙂
Thanks very much Gallivanta – so great to see you again! It is real nice being back and working the paints!
Fabulous! One of these days, I would like to re-blog one of your works, if OK by you!
Thank you Ashok for your lovely feedback on the wave – I really appreciate it. If you reblog, could you let me know. Thanks so much and nice to see you!
Sure, will do so. Pleasure is mine.
Wow, Mary! I can almost hear the sound of the waves pounding the beach! Excellent painting skills!
Hi Patrick, thank you so much for your generous comment – so glad you like the wave. Oil pastels are a great medium to paint dynamic waves and this one kind of spoke to me. Nice to see you again ~
That is an impressive curl!!
Thanks Susan! Nice to see you again ~ hope you’ve had time for some painting this summer.
No I am sad to say life is getting in the way of having fun at my easel.
You’re doing beautiful work, Mary. Not that I’m saying anything new there. Looking forward to more of your waves and beach scenes. I find all of this very challenging, but it’s just the kind of subject I want to be painting, eventually. Well done!
Thank you so much, appreciate your nice feedback. There is no doubt that before long you too will be painting waves and beach scenes, because you are well on your way with the paintings that I’ve seen you produce. Just remember that water is no different than any other subject, values and forms – no question that you could do one today!! Have fun and experiment.
Thank you, Mary. Wise words. Thanks for the encouragement. Values and forms. Right. :))))
Your welcome and it’s something I have to constantly remind myself of ~ will have fun with you in creating!!
PS – it really is nice to have you back!!
Thanks so much my friend!! It’s great to be back ~
Mary, it looks like the frame has been paused and any second will start up again – there is so much energy in this work. I love it!
Very cool description and love it! Thank you so much for your generous comment ~
Stunning
Thanks so much for your lovely comment – means a lot to me. Wanted to let you know that I found your comment in spam. Thanks again and hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Oh shoot. Well I am glad you found it. Your work is so beautiful. Gifted and loveliest Mary!!
LOTS to enjoy then, Mary! My favourite subject 🙂
So happy Jo! Thanks very much and always pleased to bring some joy to you!
It’s such a pleasure to see you back Mary. A beautiful painting!
James
Thank you James so much, it is great to be back – appreciate your nice feedback!!
what a gorgeous use of cool palette, I love it!
Thank you so much Debi for your generous comment. I have such a great variety of cool colors for water, it never amazes me how subtle the differences are but which makes a large difference with the medium in certain scenes. Thanks again ~
Lovely work ❤
Thanks Leyla!!
Wow, great colours, especially on the whitecaps! It’s nice to see you posting again (I thought you’d be gone for a lot longer, though) 🙂
Hi Pauline – ha, could only stay away for so long!! Thanks very much for you thoughts on the piece, I used a palette knife for the whitecaps – it allows for a clean sweep w/o blending.
This is wonderful work Mary. To capture a wave like that is not easy. So well done.
Hi Don, thanks very much – really appreciate your feedback on the wave. Something very liberating about painting waves and oil pastels handle them very well. Thanks again ~
Ah, I see you have been painting up a storm. Excellent. I really like this one, Mary….that dark blue under the curl is the perfect accent and your foamy froth is just deliciously appealing….I don’t even like swimming if it’s not a a pool, but I’m ready to jump in!
Hi A! great to see you again! Thanks very much and glad you like the wave – the froth was a lot of fun to work on smashing and smearing the oil pastels with a palette knife!!
Mary, you sound positively possessed….what a visual statement! I love it!
Totally possessed, lol!
Capturing waves, and all their movement, is really tricky. This is beautiful, Mary. I am glad you enjoyed successful progress during your hiatus.
Thank you Jet, glad you enjoyed the wave – love painting them. Great to see you again ~
Perhaps you’ve painted a curl from Poseidon’s beard, or a curlicued lock of hair from one of his many lovers.
I was beginning to wonder what I’d do for a Holbeins indigo blue fix while you were away… so welcome back.
Hello awesome Prospero! Ha, “Holbeins indigo blue fix” – love it. Yes and so like you to mix a sea adventure with the main focus, works totally – thank you so much. Well lets see, it’s delicate enough – we’ll stay with the curlicued lock of hair!!
What a marvelous curl! Welcome back, Mary. We missed you!
Thank you my friend, great to see you Elena – thank you so much for your kind feedback!
It’s great to see you back, Mary… 🙂
was missing your wonderful creations…the curly wave is wonderful…looks so real!… 🙂
Hi Maniparna, thank you so much for your generous comment! Wonderful to be back and painting again ~
Welcome back, Mary! 🙂 The curl of the wave is brilliant. Beautifully done.
Thanks Amy – so great to be back too! Appreciate your kind comment on The Curl – was a fun exercise to do.
So very lovely!
Thanks so much Fiona – great to see you again!
Fabulous! The Curl brings me back to my childhood when I was playing in the ocean and one of those curls knocked me down. I stood up and was mortified to see my bathing suit bottom around my feet! Geesh!
Love your marine themed pieces Mary. Glad to see you back. Have a super week!
What a great story Rhonda – so funny, the power of the wave. Glad you enjoyed the piece, it’s feel so good to be back at it. Thanks so much – have a wonderful week too (loved your latest painting!).
Thanks my friend!!
Making waves! The perfect summertime post, Mary! YES. You’ve been missed!
~Theadora
Hi my friend Theadora – great to see you! Hope you are enjoying your summer. Thank you very much for your lovely thoughts, I’ve missed you all too! Time to go paint ~
Oh good, Mary! You’ve come back with a great big splash! 🙂
Had me smiling there Cynthia – thanks very much! Great to be back and painting again.
Always lovely…. I hope you’re enjoying your break Mary, it’s well-deserved – you work too hard 🙂 happy for you and I’m sure you’ll return even more inspired… take care, dear.
Great to see you Heath! Thanks very much my friend – the break was good to get the creative energies flowing again.
Those waves are a treat! (WP had unfolllowed me again!)
Hi Sarah, so great to see you again! Thanks very much – I’m drawn to the water and I find it fascinating to paint waves. I saw that you had to re-follow, odd right? Hope you are well with the turmoil over there.
Welcome back, Mary! It’s good to see you. I love this painting – you do waves/water so well. 🙂
Thanks so much Jackie for your lovely comment and compliment. Glad to be back and see you again!
So good to have you back, Mary and what a grand entrance! What a majestic curl!
Welcome back, my friend. 🙂 xx
So great to be back Marina – it’s wonderful to see you again. You have been in my thoughts and hope you are well. Glad you enjoyed the curl! Thank you my dear friend, take care ~
Welcome back, Mary! I missed your beautiful work.
Hi Jill – great to see you again! Thanks very much ~
Beautiful painting Mary. Welcome back.
Thanks so much Lee – glad to be back!! Nice to see you again ~
Glad to see you back here, Mary. Your painting really captures the surf those waves are creating. I’ve been walking along the beach on the weekends and love when the waves are a little wilder. The curt is a little wild! 🙂
Thanks Geralyn – happy to be back!
It’s amazing, Mary!
Thanks so much!!