Blue Cypress Sunset, Large Oil Painting of Old Florida, by Judy Batterson, Florida Artist

"Blue Cypress Sunset" If you're a fisherman, you may have been to this large lake 20 miles west of Vero Beach. Pristine Old Florida with one fish camp, cypress forests, osprey nests and gators. If you like nature, this peaceful place is magical, especially at sunset. Framed large oil painting on display at Let Us Frame It in Orlando, FL.

The Lake at Dusk, Oil Landscape by Judy Batterson

While painting outside on a beautiful day, I turned to look across the lake and could not believe that the sun was going down. I had been in the "zone" where a painter is so enthralled with painting that I became unaware of time. The trees across the lake were darker as they became backlit by the sun. I painted quickly to capture the mood of the clouds with the light peeking from where the land jutted out into the lake. It seems simple, but, oh, it's a challenge to capture light and dark on canvas while the light is changing! 8 x 10" oil on canvas.

Blue Cypress Sunset, a Tropical Florida Lake Sunset by Judy Batterson

“Blue Cypress Sunset” a 24" x 36" original oil will be on exhibit at The Orlando Museum of Art Members Visions June 2, 2011.
Blue Cypress Lake was introduced to me by a man who loves to fish there. The lake is undeveloped except for a solitary fish camp. The rest is pure pristine Florida, filled with cypress trees and wildlife. When the sun sets, the lake turns into a sea of fiery color with silhouettes of cypress, reeds and grasses. I did not use black to paint the silhouettes but used a mixture of burnt umber with ultramarine blue or cadmium red. The effect of the darks against the lights is vivid. There are many layers of oil with the last layer consisting of grasses painted with individual brushstrokes. Blue Cypress Lake captivates those who explore it under the hanging moss of the trees! Oil on masonite. $2400

Blue Cypress Sunset, sequence of painting, by Judy Batterson

The finished painting! This is the final sequence in a series of six showing a painting from start to finish. The burnt umber and ultramarine blue dark silhouettes of the cypress trees with aquatic grasses and reeds stand out against the bright setting sun. The shadows are reflected in the water along with touches of light. This is a 24 x 36" oil on masonite. And it's been a fun and challenging painting journey! www.judybatterson.com

Blue Cypress Sunset, sequence of painting, by Judy Batterson

This is the fourth photo in a sequence of six showing a painting from start to finish. Now that the sky and clouds are painted,
"here come the sun...little darling...sun, sun, sun, here it comes"! The sun and bright reflection of the sun on the lake are painted
in. The sun will become the focal point of the painting. The sun will also create the shadows of the objects to be painted in the
foreground. www.judybatterson.com

Blue Cypress Sunset, sequence of painting, by Judy Batterson

This is the third photo in a sequence of six that show the painting from starting brushstrokes to the finished work. Now the background of the sky and lake have been blended so it's time for the clouds. The clouds are alternating dark and light oil paint
which, when blended, will give depth and shape to the cloud formation. www.judybatterson.com

Blue Cypress Sunset, sequence of painting, by Judy Batterson

This is the second photo in a sequence of six photos, starting with the first brushstrokes to the finished work. In this layer, titanium white blends together the various colors already laid down on the masonite. This helps to create movement and variation without having a flat background. I am working from the farthest point back to the foreground which is the last thing added.
www.judybatterson.com

Blue Cypress Sunset, first step of painting, by Judy Batterson

This is the first step of a large oil painting of a beautiful Florida lake at sunset. If anyone saw this first step, they would never
be able to imagine the finished painting which is in my head. But, as with all things, the foundation is most important! I will be posting sequences of the painting until it is completed. Usually, it takes ten or so layers but I will post it in a sequence of six photos. www.judybatterson.com