RETREAT and canvas 904

I thought "RETREAT" from abstraction was good form....clearly it's going nowhere as a subject and nothing I want to paint! Soooo........back to my real world!

My next canvas is rather small at 48x44. I wasn't up for anything bigger and neither was I done with the fish. One of the references still had my attention, especially its colouring and glowing reflective light. I went back in Photoshop and adjusted it a bit to fit a nocturne I'm thinking about doing as a very large centerpiece for an upcoming exhibit.

My concept for this painting is ethereal and simplistic, blended smooth with only important expressive moves having texture, if any at all. In other words, very efficient with every brush stroke counting to the whole. It will require a wet-in-wet process straight throughout....Alla prima would be a perfect outcome but not likely on a 48x44. My new fast drying white will get a good workout here.
 

MODIFIED REFERENCE

Desaturated and colour modified in Photoshop (low resolution)

FINISHED PAINTING

 904 Nocturnal Glow 48x44 oil on linen (6-20-14)

Fully painted return edges - not a solid blending colour

SOME DETAILS

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My Koi are actually very large in real life, here almost full size, taking up most of the canvas with less negative space. Essentially I wanted a sample, something I could use as a springboard on my next painting.

My normal medium (Neo Megilp) works great for certain effects, but I don't always use it for backgrounds. As a result, not always dry overnight. I used Galkyd Lite to get rid of it as it turned out more useful as a drier than a general medium and it inadvertently solved that problem. When used in combination with my new fast drying white, its a match made in heaven.

• Gamblin - Galkyd Lite (general overall clear drying medium)
• Gamblin - Neo Megilp (details and glow factor)
• Winsor & Newton - Griffin Alkyd Titanium White (fast drying oil colour)

Later.....