Working Towards the End of the Commission.

It's Detail Time

The major parts of this painting are in, so it's time for detail work which involves a bit of glazing, or layering transparent pigment, onto sections to bring depth and life to the work. 

Detail also equates to some fine, line work to give definition to some of the rock areas.

My favorite detail on these Tahoe Rock paintings is working on the addition of Xenoliths.

What is a Xenolith???...pronounced:  zeen oh lith, with the accent on the zeen.



A xenolith is a rock fragment which becomes enveloped in a larger rock during the latter's development and hardening. In geology, the term xenolith is almost exclusively used to describe inclusions in igneous rock during magma emplacement and eruption. Xenoliths may be engulfed along the margins of a magma chamber, torn loose from the walls of an erupting lava conduit or picked up along the base of flowing lava on Earth's surface. Basically this is a rock within a rock, and they are prevalent in the rocks off the Crystal Bay Point at Lake Tahoe where I gather inspiration. They are an unexpected visual treat and definitely a signature in my work.  I allow them to appear in the painting in a serendipitous manner.  While looking at the canvas I see areas on the boulder that ask for placement of a xenolith.  There might be a hint of a shadow left by a brush or finger mark which will dictate where the xenolith will be painted, so if it works with the composition and balance I will add additional pigment, high lights and shadows to bring out the form.

The xenoliths are in.  This painting is very close to completion.  

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