Reflections of Light, Taking Flight is the third painting in the reflections of light series

Painting water reflections lends a feeling quiet calm to this painting

Achieving Balance

Taking Flight is the third painting in a series of three.

With the Reflections of Light series my goal was to demonstrate, using painting and composition techniques, how to capture real life subject matter within abstract design. I feel that this painting was the most challenging of the three in this series. The challenge was in marrying the real life scene of a bird taking flight with the undulating lines and colours of the abstract reflections on the water. The result is abstract realism which features a delicate, focused subject, and a canvas filled with abstract reflections.

Painting Water Reflections

Techniques you need to know.

It was important to contrast the various subjects such as the bird, lily pads and reflections. Painting water reflections, I decided to go with the impasto technique of using heavy paint for the lily pads and the ripples in the water, underneath you can see the more delicate reflections. The fan brush brought the water to life as I swept and carefully blended the paint. I swept the impasto paint to give the heavy effect of motion in the water. Blocking in the colour defining the areas of light and dark, I began the details around the bird. Defining the space around the bird was challenging because I wanted it to appear as if the bird was about to leave the area so the space needed to be clearly defined and contrasted with the water. The vibrant green reflections were almost raining down the canvas which helped to give an overall continuity to the painting.

Calm, focus, empathy

Capture the moment before you start painting.

This is the source image for the painting “Taking Flight”, third of three in the “Reflections of Light” series. As with the first two paintings the water and the reflections lend a feeling quiet calm to this painting. The bird getting ready to take flight is our identifying image and helps to identify what is real and what is a reflection in the painting. The bird getting ready to fly is our focal point and the area that I will focus my details on so the viewer will be able to empathize with the sense of action and freedom.