Underpaintings

Here is the second layer of a new little painting.



And for those of you interested, here are examples of my underpaintings.

This first layer is done very fast: It's unfocused, gestural....a quick sketch to suggest color fields and space--an atmosphere to resonate behind the forms of the particular scene; the chaos behind the content, the underpainting is a secret room that the eyes do not detect but the mind feels and holds lightly as an energetic field and inner structure.

And since oil paint is slightly transparent, the underpainting isn’t completely covered up by the painting.

"Out of chaos comes order."