Goodbye Winter and Works in Progress

On the 1st March, St Davids Day, it does feel like spring is here with lighter days, blue skies and new shoots.

But what a winter’s weather!. No cold spells, but plenty of wind and rain and sea watching became an obsession. High tides and winds mean the sea often breached the coastal strip.  The damage was sad to see but the power of mother nature provided some exhilarating moments and opportunity to capture some dramatic photographs.

Crooklets, Feb 2nd 2014

Crooklets, Feb 2 2014

Crooklets, Feb 2nd 2014

Storm damaged beach huts removed before the next storm

Painting en plein air, alla prima was a great experience (see prev post.Painting Hercules. ) and this method carried on in the studio painting two large canvas’s which are waiting to be stretched and then finished and one nearly there still on the easel.

Work in Progress on the Easel

Work in Progress waiting to be stretched and finished

Sitting on the Steps at Middle Beach, Bude 20 x 15cm

Crooklets, Night colours

 

Bigger Painting Revealed

In May, I posted three small thumbnail sections of a large painting I was in the process of completing.  It sparked some interest and now is the time to reveal the finished painting.  I wish I had  taken stage paintings to show how the painting evolved and changed, but I didn’t, so hope that the following description gives a little insight into the process.

A blank white canvas measuring 120 cm x 90cm stared up at me as I lay it on the decking outside. I had been looking forward to the challenge and waited for a settled day to be able to put the first paint on in broad loose strokes outside to get the feel of the energy of the sea.

Once dried, I knew I wanted to try and depict the wind on the sea seen from the full height of the North Cornish Cliffs.  We often get windy conditions even in summer. Being exposed to the full force of the winds off the Atlantic, the sea swirls around the foot of the cliffs, pushing you in all directions as it eddys around the cliff edge tempting to pull you over.

The painting took about three weeks to complete.  The sea needed deep perspective whilst the cliff sitting next to it two dimensionally on the canvas needed more detail.  Dilema!  The whole picture needed lots of layering of tonal colour to give depth to the sea, depth and tanglement to the foreground and solidity to the cliff face.

I have been increasingly interested in playing around with conventional composition and the viewpoint of this piece was challenging, but think it fully conveyed that feeling of standing high on the cornish coast looking down at the sea, everything blown out by the strength of a summer wind…. a Cornish Mistral

Cornish Mistral. 120cm x 90 mixed media on deep canvas

 

A bigger picture, a bigger message.

I am painting my largest canvas to date!  120cm x 100cm.  Having put the initial washes on outdoors, I have been working in acrylics, building up colour to give the painting depth. I often get a virtual painting in my head, inspired by a photograph I have taken.  This virtual image is of  the sea on a windy day looking down a very steep sheer drop into the sea.  It suits the theme of Mordros , “the sound of sea” very well as the waves crash against the cliff and the wind almost draws you over the edge as it eddies around the cliff edge.  This bigger picture will give a bigger message as you are enveloped in the expansiveness and depth of the sea with the wind around you.

Below are three taster sections of the painting measuring approx 30cm x25cm

   

 

 

 

This throws up various challenges as I try and convey the wind and movement of the sea in a larger scale.  Being such a large canvas, I have had to move it from the easel where I can barely reach the top, to the floor and even outside. Anyone who thought painting was relaxing…. well it can be…. unless you are painting such a large piece!  From straddling the corners to moving away from it the whole length of the hall to get a perspective on it,  Having created the dark areas I am not concentrating on bringing the light back into it and using oils which have greater weight and light reflective qualities. But enough for today.  I am sitting on the sofa writing this with a glass of red wine and bed is beckoning me.

But… I can’t wait to get up tomorrow morning and get going again.!!  I am finding that I get my best ideas when I first wake up, so after a quick cup of tea I will get going straight away as I am finding  the early morning  the most productive. It has helped my painting practice that I am working towards an exhibition and this one should just be dry enough to be hung, but I am finding it increasingly obsessive, wanting to go back to it frequently to move it forward as I get inspiration for colour and how to convey movement. It’s like a lost friend who is in need of a direction.