Here is a sampling of some works from Hawaii. The 8x10's are mainly Plein Air, or painted on site outside. I usually then just touch them up in the  studio afterwards. See my linked blog pages on the Home page for most recent work as I update this monthly. 

 

Most of the larger work, 11x14 and larger are studio works from reference photos and smaller studies.

 

As you can see, the Big Island of Hawaii has lots of volcanic rock formations along the shore. This is due to the recent age of the island which is the youngest of the Hawaiian islands. The rocks will eventually wear down and form more sandy beaches but not in our lifetimes. There are sandy sections every few miles however, and the rocky areas make for great snorkeing.

 

My goal outdoors is to paint a "sense of place." I want enough realism so that you could go to that location and see where I stood and look at the scene. Also, I want to not paint every detail but to select the best needed for the composition. So, I'll add people who weren't there, or eliminate people who were. I'll move the rocks around as needed and expand areas of sand. The end result should be a good painting, as well as that "sense of place."