Painting the Sun

Filtered Sun

11x14

During my New Year's Day plein air painting excursion to the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway, i came across this scene. The painting i did that afternoon was a thumbnail shot of this composition which turned out nice, but when i saw the sun filtering through the clouds, i instantly knew that i wanted that in a painting too. So, i took some photos and my three paintings for the day and headed home with the anticipation of creating a painting with another dimension in it; the sun.....

I completed this painting in pizza painting like fashion with a layering, texturing, and making-breaking-making again mentality, over the last couple weeks and it was a joy to create.

My favorite thing about this painting is the sun. I have never painted the sun or the moon before, but i have been wanting to for some time. Now, while the sun and moon are ever present, they are not always paintable subjects for me. So when the sun became paintable to me, i was really excited to give it my rendition and add that wildcard element to a painting.

I don't often see the sun as striking as it was on that day. It was totally there, but as if i were looking at it through welding glass and it just became a glow in the sky which was simply beautiful, understated, yet powerful; I love those adjectives. It's difficult to describe, and i think a rare occurrence, but when i can use the words beautiful, understated, and powerful in the same sentence, then i have come upon something truly unique that speaks to me in the poetry of a brush putting paint to panel.

I hope you enjoy the Filtered Sun as much as i enjoyed painting it.