BRIAN MAHIEU - Abalone Skies - Daybreak at Shi Shi Beach, Oil on Canvas, 30x48 *Not currently in gallery, request to view*

Olympic Coast Series, No. 20, Shi Shi Beach, Washington State Original Oil on Canvas, 30 x 48 x 1.5. Underpainting process photo and detail images included. 

Artist's Notes:

I am thrilled with this scene of a gorgeous August morning at Shi Shi Beach, I took great delight in the ebullient, Impressionist palette. A heavy fog was lifting from the ocean and sea stacks revealing the pastel colors of sunrise overhead, and reflecting in the wet, low tide beach giving a sense of weightlessness to the scene. This effect lasted only a few minutes as a heavy marine layer descended and the sky became solid grey. The painting started with a coral pink imprimatura, then an intense underpainting with blocks of color and finally the more misty colors applied on top with the high chroma Colors showing through.

The included underpainting photo (Photo 2) shows the comparison of this early stage before the atmospheric layers were developed, offering a glimpse into the structural color decisions that shaped the final mood and luminosity of the piece — elements that are far more noticeable when viewing the painting in person.