Sometimes Your Painting Becomes Boss » Art Center Information

I painted the picture, Serenity in the Keys, with a very limited palette because I wanted harmony.  I used seven hues, the warm and cool hues of the basic colors (red, yellow, and blue) and Titanium white.

I began by making a detailed full size color pencil depiction of the painting and was pleased with what I saw. Although the drawing had details in it in ways the full painting did not, such as footprints in the sand as well as small pebbles and a few rocks. There were also fallen dead palm leaves around the base of some of the palms.

The painting decided to become boss when I tried placing the more detailed work into it. The feeling, the serenity of the painting seemed to demand an unspoiled, smooth and pristine look about it. So, I realized that the painting had taken over. I decided to paint it the way it demanded.

It drives you crazy, but sometimes your artwork is the boss, and you come out ahead if you listen to it.

R. D. Burton: “Serenity in the Keys” (acrylic on canvas)