Study #2- Purple Sunset

(Top painting is the finished palate knife study.  The bottom painting is a partially completed brush study of the same sunset over Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake)

My first painting of this image was done using a palate knife only; very challenging.

This is my second attempt at this image but I used a brush.  I think I like it better than the palatte knife painting but I was surprised at how even though I didn't have as much control over the fine details of the palatte knife painting, I did like the texture created by the knife.  It was like spreading butter on toast.

My landscape painting teacher, Diane Turner, helped me figure our how to do the rays around the sun.  After I painted the rays she had me use my pinky finger to smudge the paint to make it look diffised.  I LOVE how it turned out.