Spirit of the Deep--7-28-15

.I am just at the beginning of a new painting inspired from an incredible root system that was under water at Red Lake in one of the coves last week.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  One little stump, broken off about a foot above water and about the size of my upper arm, had a root system under the water that was about 8-10 feet square!!!!!!!!!  It must have had four or five layers from top to bottom and they all wove in and out of each other up and down and around………….so unusual and incredibly beautiful.  The more I thought about it, the more it seemed that all of our roots of our lives are like this, all interwoven throughout the generations, past and present and future all intertwining and growing outward with each new generation.  So, the beginning of a new painting.  We’ll see where it leads me.  

Remember, it is only a start……MANY layers to go yet.  

Background of 50"x58" raw canvas painting using liquid acrylics on wet canvas in a wet on wet watercolor technique.  There are two layers.  The first layer had three colors of yellows/golds.  I hung it on the line to semi dry and then added my version of burnt sienna, lime and dark green and turquoise in the wet on wet technique.  I hung it on the line to completely dry

When it was completely dry, I drew the details of the roots in white chalk.  I then wet individual sections of the roots with water, colored that section with pastels, then added more water with a soft brush to blend and smooth the pastels.  This also 'sets' the pastel and there will be no powder when it is dry.  Half of the roots are filled in at this point.  

First layer of detailing roots is complete.  

I did not get to work on my painting today as I had to work in my studio on some ceramic commissions I have.  My cat, Tucker, has been on the painting ALL day today.  In fact he was on it when I went to bed last night.  I don't know if he is giving his approval of what I've done so far, or if I'm getting the 'thumb's down' from him!!!!!!!!!!!  What do you think?  :D

Added the under roots in plain pastels, no shading with each of the three layered roots getting thinner and thinner and darker.  

The water surface layer was added on wet canvas in the wet on wet watercolor technique using liquid and watered down acrylics.  This is three layers of dark as I'm being overly cautious of getting it too dark.  I like this and will add, hopefully, only one more layer of a dark color over parts of this.  

At this point, I am thinking of adding the stump coming out of the water with new growth coming out of the top of the stump and the deep shadow of the stump in the water. 

I will continue to post photos as I progress through the layers of this painting.