This morning was my 9^th painting lesson out of 10. We did our own projects. This pelican painting is based on a photo I took on 31 December, 2024 in Mandurah, Western Australia. Pelicans are much bigger in real life than I had imagined. I wanted to do this pelican because I wanted to learn how to paint water. I love the way the light plays on water and the way the shadows of the water dance on the sand below the surface. I’ve always been fascinated by the ripples and the reflections on water.

The pelican came out pretty good…close to the shape and colors of the actual pelican. The photo doesn’t really show the pink on the bill and the orange on the chest very well. The water didn’t turn out like I wanted it. I tried several times. I got the color right by mixing veridian and dioxazine purple. It’s very close to the color of the actual water. I struggled with capturing the light and the shape of the waves. I spent most of the class practicing painting water. On my 4^th attempt I came up with a reasonable strategy that I wish I had known before I did the water in this painting. I will need to practice a lot to get good at painting water.

My birthday is tomorrow. For my birthday I want a screen reader and someone to help me figure out how to use it. Rob is getting it for me and a friend is going to teach me how to use it. I’m excited about having it as it will give me access to a lot more information. That was also a major thing that happened today. It’s harder to paint though.

Here’s the painting of the pelican with the accurate color but poorly painted water.