I started this painting a couple of weeks ago. Initially, I started a winter scene on this canvas but I just didn’t feel it. So, I wiped it off and started a warm weather scene. My husband and I had traveled to Nicaragua in January, to see what life was like there. No touristy stuff, no zip lines, no climbing to the top of volcanos. Just seeing what it is like to live there. No itinerary. I came away from that experience wanting to do scenes from there, but felt like I should be loyal to what we returned to: SNOW and ICE! Wasn’t happening.
So, I am showing you what the process was for this piece – it was a real struggle. But – It has a happy (and funny) ending.

After wiping off the grey stain and the drawing of the winter scene, I sketched in the Nicaragua scene. I didn’t really put in my darks as I usually do. I couldn’t wait to get into the big blocks of color, and therefore I got lost:

I liked the drawing, I liked the overall feel of light, colorful buildings, and hot weather. But it was too bland, all the colors had the same value, and nothing popped out as a focal point. I was stuck.

So, after lying awake at night thinking about it, I realized that I needed to really put some heft into the colors. I added alizarin crimson glaze into the roofline and some dark purple and the black lanterns. Then I was able to see where I needed contrast.

In the end, it worked out the way I intended it to look:

I sent a jpeg to our friends in Nicaragua, in whose B&B we stayed, and they sent back a photoshopped addition (a masterpiece!) to my painting. I could not stop laughing, so I thought I would share it with you:

Why didn’t I think of that??!! It is so balanced now, I may have to re-think this piece!