For my Section 1 final, I knew I wanted to paint something I felt drawn to deep in my spirit. I wanted it to be the kind of painting I could not stop thinking about. I also knew I wanted it to stretch me…
Water. Reflection. Glowing light. A figure. Depth. Atmosphere. And all of it on a large canvas.
This painting is called Still Waters, and it stretched me in all the best ways.
The Assignment
For our final, the goal felt simple and intense all at once.
- Canvas: 30×40
- Medium: oil paint
- Techniques: any technique (or multiple techniques) taught during Section 1
- Source: create or find your own reference
- Time: 6 to 8 hours
Working this large was a whole new experience for me. Not just physically, but mentally too. A 30×40 canvas asks more of you. It does not leave much room to hide. Every choice feels bigger, and every mistake feels louder.
Choosing the Source
I had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted from the beginning. I wanted a quiet moment with warm sky, cool water, and that soft sense of mystery where the viewer feels more than they immediately understand.
But creating the source turned out to be harder than I expected.
I kept running into questions that made me pause.
- How do I create believable water without overworking it?
- How do I paint reflection without making it feel stiff?
- How much detail belongs in the background?
- How do I make the light feel like it is actually glowing?
I could feel that part of me wanting to play it safe.
But this final was never really about playing it safe. It was about taking what I had learned, trusting the process, and proving to myself that I could stay with something hard.
The Part That Made Me Question
Reflection. Can I pull it off well?
A reflection can so easily look too perfect, almost pasted on, or too messy and disconnected from the rest of the painting. I wanted it to feel gentle and natural, like a real moment you could step into.
And then there was the light.
I wanted the sky to glow. Not just appear bright, but truly feel luminous. That kind of light takes a little courage, because it often asks for color that feels almost too bold when you first put it down.
I wanted the glow from within the girl to shine, but not too over the top. As the viewer is studying the painting, they notice a stirring from within the girl, in turn, stirring something within the viewer.
Works in Progress
I love sharing works in progress because they remind me that paintings do not begin finished. They become what they are layer by layer.
Sketch and composition
Blocking in the colors
Building the reflection
Pushing the glow and light
What I Learned
This painting taught me a few things I do not want to forget.
- Do not be afraid of fluorescent color: I used to hesitate with those brighter notes because I worried they might feel unnatural. But when I used them with intention, they created the most beautiful sense of light. The glow would not have happened without that risk.
- Loose can still be excellent: I am learning that I do not have to explain every detail for something to feel real. The reflections do not have to be exact. The florals do not have to be over-rendered. Suggestion can be just as powerful as precision.
- Depth comes from layers: I really focused on creating separation between the foreground, middle ground, and background. That layering made the scene feel deeper and more immersive, and it helped the painting breathe.
Finished Painting: Still Waters
When I stepped back at the end, I felt something I have been longing for more and more.
Peace.
Not just in the subject itself, but in me too.
This piece reminded me that growth often looks like choosing the thing that intimidates you and doing it anyway. Not perfectly. Not without fear. Just faithfully.
And I am so grateful to have brought this one to completion with excellence.
A Final Thought
Still waters are not always the absence of struggle.
Sometimes stillness comes after you have wrestled through all the noise in your mind and decided to keep going anyway.
That is what this final felt like to me.
A quiet victory.
And I am thankful.
If you are in a season where you feel nervous to try, nervous to be seen, or nervous to fail, I hope this encourages you. The painting is not made in the beginning. It is made by staying with it.
