Progressive ... Rocking Chairs

I always enjoy seeing how another artist creates a painting.  Even though I have painted for decades myself, I still get excited about the mystery involved in the creation of an original work of art with just canvas and paint. So, I thought I would share with you the progressive pictures of an piece I am starting. 

Using a photo I took in Tampa recently, I am beginning a 16 by 12 inch painting on canvas of two rocking chairs on a wooden porch. The original photo:

There are many ways in which I might start a work, depending on the subject and complexity of the composition.  In this case, I have several reference photos to show me the shape of the chairs and the fall of the shadows, but the perspectives have been warped by the camera. This is a complex design to paint, so I began with a tight pencil sketch to correct the perspective lines.

Then, I began blocking in the first layer of colors.  I usually start with the background, working towards the foreground and finish with the main subjects, in this case the chairs.  I have found this the easiest way to work, in order to get sharp edges in the primary subjects.  At this point, I am just trying to cover the areas well by scrubbing some basic tones into the texture of the canvas.  

This is the end of the first day.