30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 6

I wanted to show how green the jungle landscape is near the equator. On the island of Ofu in American Samoa the roads are made with sand and the pace of life is about as relaxed as it gets. The airport is closed so visiting Ofu requires taking a ferry, if they are running, from Tau.

Setting up at the Goat Island Cafe at Sadie's by the Sea today gave me a chance to meet people who wandered in for lunch. I'll be back at the library tomorrow.

Starting a painting goes quickly to lay out the shadows, just as I was finishing the first coat Silva stopped by and asked;
"Is it  finished?"

 

     Sometimes I'm tempted to stop after the first hour since the colors are lively and spontaneous, but there are many more hours of detail to finish a painting. Most of this layer is covered up in the final version. I rarely use black as color in the shadows are what give a painting depth. And the people on the road give the dense jungle scale. Thanks Silvia, I wish I could finish a painting in an hour!