My work expresses the reality of the world and what I would like to see happen for all of us to enjoy our future.

I love the beauty of nature, the beauty of the human figure, and the beauty of human designs. I aspire for it to age slowly and beautifully. I aspire for all to be protected and respected. I aspire for all of it to last.

Each scene has a sense of history beyond the raw landscape. It has some trace of human activity. It looks at the natural decay and at human degradation. These scenes came from my observation during my travels. Light is very important to the atmosphere of a painting. Sunshine or thunderstorms can transform a place. A pile of concrete blocks can be striking with the proper light. The recollection of the mood I was in when I took the reference photo is critical. 

I like to paint sizable canvasses, up to 36×48 inches. I can start with big brush strokes. My process includes three steps. Step one is a rough grisaille in acrylic where I study the composition and the values. Step two, I research the colors still in acrylic keeping my paint rather thin. I will tweak some colors to get a better harmony if needed.
Step three, I switch to oil which gives me more texture and the ability to blend on the canvas. Although I do some studies and sketches are done on location, all my paintings are created in my studio from reference photos with some artistic license. I also use my iPad to research composition, delete unnecessary details from my photo reference or explore the proper glazing to improve a piece.

In the end, I enjoy painting and conveying my view of the world to others.
[email protected]   Website: www.coudartist.com