A Sea Change: new mixed-media flower paintings
- Rebecca Vincent
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
Three years ago, after working purely as a printmaker for 27 years, I began to experiment with acrylic paint and collage with a view to developing a second strand to my work. I cleared out my studio to make space for new materials and began in earnest.
Over this time of development and change, what's been really interesting is how my skills as a printmaker have shaped the methods and tools that I use for my mixed-media work. I find that I'm not excited by making marks with a brush but instead I'm drawn to stencils, cut out shapes, paint applied with fingers, textured surfaces and drawn lines. Sometimes I discover or invent a new technique that feels like "me" and I know it will be part of my new visual language.
These first two pieces develop my floral theme with a view to a distant coast. I used a very subdued, natural palette with wandering lines to suggest plants and stems. For "The Coast is Clear", I like the way the white and orange of the daisies lift the whole piece and contrast with the soft mauves in the background. It's interesting how the criss-cross lines in the petals read as shadows from the stems.
Cutting all the shapes from painted collage papers is quite time-consuming, but I much prefer it to trying to paint the shapes with a brush which would, I think, look clumsy on the textured surface.
It was, and is, hard to be a beginner again, but nothing could've prepared me for the excitement I feel in trying new things and not knowing how they would turn out. I feel almost dizzy with the rush of finding new techniques that go together in unexpected ways. I found this quote from artist and teacher Louise Fletcher the other day which expresses this idea:
"Because the truth is, if you want to create something truly new, you have to step into the dark without a map. There’s no blueprint, no set of instructions, no guarantee of success. And yet, this is exactly where the magic happens—not in certainty, but in exploration.
The artists who thrive aren’t the ones who wait for clarity before they begin. They’re the ones who start anyway, trusting that the answers will come through the work itself."
I've certainly found this to be my experience.
The inspiration for these two pieces is the many coastal holidays and walks I've enjoyed. I've always felt a deep sense of joy as one approaches a beautiful bay and glimpse the sea, for the first time, through the tangle of seaside vegetation. This is something I hope to develop in larger compositions; I'm slowly increasing the size as I grow in confidence and feel that I'm less likely to mess it up! All the same, a number of pieces fell by the wayside in this series, but that's OK. It's all part of the learning process.
For this piece I chose Sea Campion for the flowers. I don't think it's hugely important to have plants from the correct habitat, but I wanted to try different shapes as I might seem overly reliant on daisies and cow parsley! I've tried a lot of different flowers, but sometimes the shape just doesn't work for me - flowers are complicated things and even a simplified version can seem too fussy. I'm slowly building up a selection that I can work with.
Having done these two, my mind is now full of more coastal pieces, but also gardens, woodlands and hedgerows, with a common idea of having a natural landscape or seascape composition in which to situate all the floral details.
My good friend and colleague, Jason Skill, in passing, suggested using stencils and masks to create layers of overlapping foliage. This came at just the right time, when I was working on a concertina sketchbook using up all the scraps of collage paper I had leftover after cutting out shapes. I combined these with layers of stenciling and drawn lines to create this floral themed fold out piece. The six panels are all joined together on a single strip or paper.
Without the pressure to make something to sell, I felt really liberated to work fast, making quick decisions about where things would go, and what colour to use (from a very limited palette of Alizarin Crimson, Payne's Grey, Ochre and white).
I love the interplay between positive and negative shapes and I'll certainly be doing more of that! It felt like playtime - a fantastic feeling! It's given me a lot to think about in terms of how I can bring more of that playfulness into my work.
I've cut out so many umbellifer shapes that there were enough leftovers for "Whispers of Autumn" - it's fascinating to see the flow of positive and negative shapes when you put them together.
These last few images are of work in progress - interesting backgrounds that I'm considering how to take forward. I think the green one is has potential: I have a fear of greens (I think many artists do!) as they can look garish and unnatural, but I'm liking Green Gold over Sap Green - it retains a sense of sunlight
As one of my themes and loves is the English garden, I need to get to grips with the obvious: flowers here are usually seen against a backdrop of lush, green foliage with a bright green lawn! There's a challenge!
The finished pieces are now for sale. Please get in touch by phone or email if you're interested in making a purchase or want to discuss framing options. If you want to see how the rest of them turn out, find out more about my process or be among the first to know when I have new work available, please sign up to my emails below or in the pop up box.
