Try again, try again

Hum. I had every intention of painting a different image of that little angel fish, but I opened a file of photos of a lobster instead. The group had swimmed/swam/swum?? right on by. I took several photos of the bug, then had to go fast to catch up with the group. I saw a number of other things that everyone on that dive would have liked to see, but there they went! Zoom, too fast! The lobster is almost right in the middle here. I'm trying using a black and white for an "underpainting' I like this. Also learned several brushing techniques. I've never painted so thinly. Perhaps Maria Henley's spirit is hanging around, whispering in my ear. I miss her. She was just becoming very successful with her painting career. Thin thin washes of paint. Beach scenes, and Island scenery. Several years ago she stunned everyone with a large ominous painting of a storm off the north coast of St Croix. One huge lightning bolt from the underneath of the dark purple/black thundercloud, a bolt straight into the sea.

Maria succumbed to cancer last year, only fourty three years old. I do wonder if from breathing turpentine fumes for years. I have a fan blowing strongly over my painting, and on past the pallet, and on out the open window.

Oboy, take away the prompt, cheat? and there goes the picture, and the fledgling painting is left to flop and flounder on it's own. Pitiful little bit right now, but I have obligations taking me away from my brushes this morning, ugh. I don't in the least think I'm cheating with the projected photos. My photos, and I can't really set up my easle underwater! OK. Am looking foreward to spending more time on this one.

Here's a closeup of the lobster that you can't really see in the other images.