Indiana Dunes at Lake Michigan

The original inspiration - photo taken at the Indiana Dunes

It's been a very long time since I worked in acrylic - however I was at Michaels Crafts the other day and saw some sales going on pre-stretched canvases so I thought I'd give it a try. Luckily, I still have loads of paint left over from the last time I painted in acrylic, which must be at least 5-6 years ago.

Now what to paint? I thought immediately of a photo I'd taken on a recent trip to northern Indiana - sand dunes central. I had forgotten how much fun acrylics can be, and this subject with the wind in the grasses lent itself perfectly to the task. What a huge difference from working with watercolor!

Watercolor requires planning and patience. You paint a bit, then wait for it to dry, then paint some more, and so on. Mistakes are very hard to fix, sometimes impossible. You learn to make the most of "happy accidents", but they're not always so happy.

Acrylic painting by contrast is much more immediate - you paint what you see. If you don't like something you can just paint right over it. I have to say, the easiness of painting in acrylic was a welcome change!

I have loads more canvases, I can see this becoming a "thing".