Friends Since High School

I took this photo on North Topsail Beach in North Carolina this summer. I loved everything about the scene, the colorful umbrellas, the fact that all 3 women were about the same age, they were all reading, they all had L.L. Bean totes. And I liked the fact that they were together and separate at the same time. Each umbrella is like an island. I don't usually feel the need to go super real in my paintings and people are a challenge, so I decided to do a small one before I plunge into a larger one. So I got out my small brushes and went for it.

I did a sketch on a small canvas, and then changed my mind and decided because I wanted a lot of little detail to do it on smooth Bristol paper.

I used all kinds of paints, even the cheap craft paints I'm embarrassed to say I own. And then I thought I would use my pencils, but they didn't work as well as I had hoped, but they came in handy in some detail spaces.

So now I have a small study and plan to do a large one. I think the woman on the left came out best of the figures, but I like the umbrella on the right the best.

I'm calling it "Friends since high school"