The Beauty of Caribbean Water

I love to create paintings --all kinds of landscape, seascape, and still life subject matter. But, I find myself always coming back to painting WATER --- clear, blue/green/turquoise, Caribbean water.

There is something about Caribbean ocean water that makes me feel good. Maybe it’s the pleasant memories of the people, the warmth, or the laid-back island life.  

Growing up in New Jersey, I frequented the Jersey Shore. I always had an affinity for the ocean – swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, and just lying on the sand. Yet, as beautiful as the ocean was there, I find that nothing can compare to Caribbean waters.

I continue to take pleasure in creating paintings that show-off the mesmerizing colors and feeling of the ocean, bays, and coves found in the Caribbean.

Here are two examples of those type of creations. The first is called Rendezvous Bay Shower – a 16"x36" original oil over acrylic on canvas painting of Rendezvous Bay on the Caribbean island of Anguilla.

The second is, Heavenly – a 24"x48" acrylic on gallery wrap canvas that portrays the warm sun shining bright and glistening over the varying blues and greens of shallow crystal clear turquoise water.

Both paintings can be found on my websites: www.alanzawacki.com or www.alanzawackifineart.etsy.com

Have a great week!

Plein Air Painting in Jamaica

I recently returned from a working vacation to Negril, Jamaica. I can never get enough of the Caribbean. And, this island has it all; friendly people, beautiful scenery and great beaches.

I think that Jamaica sometimes gets a bad rap when it comes to safety and security. Although, the Caribbean islands have their share of poverty, I find that’s also true of mainland USA. There are many places in any city in the US that I would not want to be walking down the road alone.

That said, Jamaica has a wide variety of beauty and rich culture. And, the jerk chicken is to die for!

I brought some acrylic paint and canvas boards with me on this trip. I always use acrylics when traveling because of the ease of transporting on a plane and the easy cleanup. I set my easel up on the beach one calm and sunny morning to capture the tranquility of the bay as the sun rose in the morning sky.

I put together a short video of my plein air session on this warm Negril beach.

Enjoy.

Holiday Greetings

It’s been a very busy couple of months since my last blog post --- with the artist reception at the Sarasota Orchestra Harmony Gallery Solo Exhibition, preparations for hanging the Players Theater Featured Artist Exhibition, the Players Theater  artist reception, creating and delivering a commission painting for a client, and doing some plein air painting as well.

This past year has been an exciting growth period for my art career here in Sarasota, FL. Moving here 2-1/2 years ago from Pennsylvania has been one of the better decisions that I’ve made in my life. This morning, as I write this note, I see that it is 14 degrees in Philadelphia and while it is starting out at 66 degrees on its way to 83 here.  It has not only offered plenty of opportunities to paint outdoors year-round with the Light Chasers Plein Air artist group but also has presented me with great new friends and colleagues.

My family and I feel very blessed.

 I wish you all a very happy holiday season.

Re-Working an Older Painting

As my tastes change and my experience increases, I get the urge to pull out an older painting and re-work it. Of course, there's always the possibility that I will absolutely ruin it, but I'm usually willing to take that chance.

This is a painting that I did years ago and was never really satisfied with it -- it seemed too dull to me.

So, as Tim Allen -- the "Tool-time Man" would say, "I re-wired it and gave it more power."

I wanted to add more life and light to the painting and create a warmer feel throughout. Using Sap Green as the base green, I added layers of Cad Orange, Cad Red, and Cad Yellow Deep to portray the warm glow of the morning sun.

Misty Morning by Alan Zawacki - 20"x40" acrylic

on canvas (available on Alan Zawacki Fine Art on Etsy)

I don't know what you think but I like this painting a whole lot more -- it makes me feel happy -- and that's why I paint.

Have a great week,
Alan

Sarasota Orchestra Harmony Gallery Solo Exhibition

For those in the Sarasota area, you are invited to stop by the Sarasota Orchestra Harmony Gallery from now through October 31 to see my solo exhibition, Tropical Blues. The gallery is at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center - 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota and is usually open Monday-Friday 8:30AM-4:30PM and whenever the building is open to the public. You are also invited to the artist reception on Tuesday, October 22 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM.

You will see a collection of oil and acrylic paintings with the tropical theme of "blue" ocean and sky.

 

Have a great week,
Alan

 

Split Personality

I have been working on two paintings at the same time. One is a large oil seascape (Solomon Bay - St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands) and the other is a large acrylic seascape (a commission). I am learning how to shift my technique back and forth when using oil and then acrylic. There are pros and cons to both so I find that it's a matter of adjusting my thought process and my technique. When I find that I need a break from one painting, I load up the other on my easel and change out my paints.

In a way, it helps me to stay fresh and also provides the opportunity to try something that I was successful at when painting with oil and apply it to my acrylic painting and visa-versa. The result often turns out great (much better than expected) but occasionally it leads to a not-so-wonderful result. When that happens, I have also learned how to recover from a mistake in both mediums. Experimentation is initially a little scary, especially on a large canvas, but ends up being a lot of fun!

I am currently putting the finishing touches on Solomon Bay - 30" x 40" oil on gallery wrap canvas).

And, I am half-way through my acrylic commission seascape painting (an as yet an untitled 24" x 72" acrylic on gallery wrap canvas).

 

 

Have a great week and experiment a little!

 

Appreciate Each and Every Moment

For 30 years, my previous life revolved around human resource development and career development. I have always been passionate about helping people discover and follow their own passion in life. Most importantly, appreciating and enjoying each and every day that we live.

For this blog post I would like to reference a little story excerpted from my book, Choosing a Life Well Lived: How to Recreate Your Career and Your Life Through Value-Based Choices, that illustrates the idea of appreciating the moment – before it is gone forever.
 

 

 

The Fisherman and the Businessman

 

One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf.  He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.

 

About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was relaxing on the beach with a fishing pole in the sand instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. "You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman, "you should be working rather than lying on the beach!"

 

The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get more poles and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer. "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling.

 

The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!" "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again.

 

The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions.  "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said. "And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman.

 

The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand?  You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!"

 

Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"

 

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing at this moment?"

                                                               -- Author Unknown

Have a Great Week, Everyone!