Muto's Minis #2

The second work I did on a canvas card was a painting for my grandmother. She sent me an old photograph of a peaceful water scene and asked if I could paint it. I would have liked to do a a full-size, canvas work, but my college lifestyle only allowed me to do this small 7" x 10" practice piece.

The subject matter consists of three boats resting on the shore. Their gentle curving forms rise and swell like the water. I had never painted a body of water before. I tried to mimic reflections on the water by cutting through the blue paint to reveal the white background with a palette knife. I am not pleased with the result. I enjoyed the shapes of the boats, almost resembling Nike swooshes. I had lots of fun using a sponge to make the trees on the left. It was a good experience to leave abstract art and do a piece that really means a lot to me as a gift to my Grandmother.