Mogador boys bathing

                                            

                                                                   Mogador boys bathing

                                                                          Oils on canvas

                                                                              36" x 38"

Here it is finished, after all the pipe smoking/coffee drinking/head scratching. It's a strange thing working on a big painting in the studio. I go through phases when I think it's nearly come to it's natural end and then there turns out to be many more head scratching moments to come. Then when the time comes that I proclaim it is finished (usually because there's a framing deadline) instead of a celebratory choir of angels singing it can all feel a bit... well, deflated. Parting is not such sweet sorrow after a plein air painting, as the experience there has been more like a fast jog with the odd sprint thrown in rather than a slow amble around a maze with interesting diversions en route.

I'm hopeful I did the subject justice after all, and without the loss of freshness from the original plein air study.

                                                          

                                             

              One of the several checks I did in black and white to see how the values were working

                                           

                                            It looks pretty big in my studio! I hope it sells soon!