International Artist – June-July 2019

Art Challenge 17

Timothy Mulligan California, USA, Paddle Boarder, Morro Bay, acrylic, 30 x 40" (76 x 102 cm)

Finalist

My Inspiration

What inspired me to create this painting

was the beautiful California landscape and

its magnificent coastline. I was particularly

attracted to how this isolated paddle boarder

fit into this natural setting at Morro Bay and

how it made me feel.

My Design Strategy

To create the composition for Paddle

Boarder, Morro Bay, I combined elements of

abstraction to what I experienced firsthand.

This painting has all the essential ingredients

I look for to create a satisfying painting,

such as interesting light, shadows, reflections

and forms. I began by reimagining the

scene with bold and vivid colors to capture

the feeling and mood. To create a stronger

composition, I eliminated many of the

details and added thick lines of paint trailing

the paddle boarder to give the sensation

of movement across the canvas. By adding

unexpected colorful lines to the edges of the

shapes, and using an expressive style of paint

application, I was able to convey a unique

and personal interpretation of Morro Bay.

My Working Process

I traveled several times to Morro Bay to

experience the landscape firsthand and

to make preliminary sketches and take

photographs. Although I have painted

outdoors and have participated in plein air

events, the larger paintings I am currently

working on are created in my studio. I use

high quality artist’s acrylic paints and a

variety of palette knives and small brushes

to apply the paint to the canvas. I currently

make custom frames for all of my paintings

because I feel it is an important part of the

overall presentation.

Contact Details

» Email: [email protected]

» Website: timothymulliganfineart.com Your inquisitive eye sees so much more than others. — Harley Brown