Wednesday, June 17, 2009

"Coconut Stand"

Another painting of a roadside stand near the beach here in Mexico. This woman was selling cold coconuts that she keeps in a refrigerator. When you ask for one she gets it out and cuts it open with her machete like she is doing here. Then she sticks a straw in it and you drink the cold coconut milk. It is really refreshing. We bought a couple from her.
The sunlight coming through the palm frond wall and all of the colors really attracted me to paint this scene.



"Coconut Stand", 18 x 24" oil, Frank Gardner © 2009
Private Collection

I wanted to layer small brushstrokes of color to build up the light effect around my center of interest, like in detail 1.
Compared to the looser approach in the other areas of the painting such as detail 2.




Detail 1 "Coconut Stand". Frank Gardner © 2009



Detail 2 "Coconut Stand", Frank Gardner © 2009

20 comments:

Unknown said...

You make painting this good look way too easy!

Frank Gardner said...

If you only knew How I struggled with this one after the initial block in.
Thanks though Jeremy.

Mike said...

Man, Oh Man!! I can see places in this painting I woulddn't begin to attempt!! This one won't be on your gallery walls for long, Frank! I can imagine the struggle, but you sure did carry it off!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Mike!

Dean H. said...

Beautiful, Frank! You really display the magical quality of light that has passed through the palm frond wall.
I also like the build up of strokes in the focal area as compared to the less focused areas.

Don Gray said...

Masterful, Frank. The lively paint handling, rich color accents, unusual design and almost uncanny feeling of space all add up to a beautiful painting.

Solvay said...

I really like that roof - its angle and its color and its texture - and the tops of the trees above it, and then the two drapey lines within - the hammock on the left and the swag in the middle - and the diagonal of the blue chairs coming from the right back out to the left front that's finished off by the hammock, and the posts and the back thatch of the coconut stand, and the presence of people, without there being any people, and the color and the depth....all of that. I really love this one! Plus, cool coconut milk out of a fresh coconut - mmmmmm - is a good memory.

http://www.onpainting.wordpress.com said...

Beautiful colors - love those blue chairs.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Dean and Don.

Thanks Solveg... Well there is one person.

Thanks Bill, glad you like those. I had considered editing those out with some other things I took out, but the color seemed to go well with the bright reds and as a compliment to the orange.

Daniel Corey said...

This works in everyway for me Frank, Lovely.(and you do make it look easy)

Solvay said...

okay.....

Raquele said...

beautiful as always Frank...

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Dan. That's the plan right? Make it look easy, like it just slid off the brush.

Thanks Raquele!

ArtistJ.P. said...

I realy enjoyed viewing your art. Kelley MacDonald. had me check this out. Jpfernandes

Alicia PadrĂ³n said...

Woa!!! This one is daring...! I love it!

I can tell you went out of your comfort zone here color wise. Keep going..! :o)

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks John Paul. I appreciate the visit.

Thanks Alicia!!!

Solvay said...

Again - I'm looking in on a good monitor, for once, so I came back to this one to see where the person was. Lo, there IS a person in there. Honestly, I couldn't see her on the other monitor. So, I'll edit my previous comment and say that I love how deep the shadow is compared to the host sun, so that the woman is so ensconced in the shade that you have to look deep in to see her. Regardless, there is that great "presence of habitation" that's felt through your painting, even without seeing the woman there.....that is an even bigger compliment, actually.

Solvay said...

...I'm getting paranoid - maybe it's NOT a woman........I guess the gender isn't apparent. ........regardless..............

Frank Gardner said...

A good monitor will do wonders for looking at artwork Solveg! I did like her kind of hidden away quietly in the shade.
I liked how she had the bottles of Coke out on the tables and would sell it by the glass. Very welcoming.
Oh, It's a woman. I even wrote that i the text. : )

Solvay said...

...well, I always come to look, regardless of the equipment at hand.... I have been remembering how your paintings (and your welcoming kindness) got me through a rough spot last year at this time.....
it's your paintings I come to see, even if I DO ALWAYS go back after gazing (and usually after commenting, I admit) to read your wonderful, rolling words. But I always look at the paintings first, and they are what I come back for.