In the Mood - new seascape originals
I'm delighted to share with you my latest seascape originals. For this series I was inspired by the Outer Hebrides although none of them are views as such. They are invented compositions that explore the idea of the receding headlands with strong back-lighting.
This is a video of the making of the monotype above. You can see how the layers of colour are built up - I think there were eight layers in total. If you switch on your sound you'll hear me talking about this piece. Sorry about the vertical format - it seemed like a good idea at the time! I had an incredible response to this on my Instagram account.
Rather than real places, these are idealised compositions where I aim to create a balanced rhythm of intersecting shapes that lead the eye towards the horizon. I deliberately kept my colour palette very limited so that they would be more unified and have a moody, atmospheric look. I really enjoyed how the solid greys contrasted with the more lively mark-making of the sky and sea.
On this one I included a little foreground detail as though the low light is reflecting off the wet rocks and some of their detail is revealed. The sea arch makes a natural focus and I made sure the brightest area of the image was right behind it. I used a new method for the sea that had an organic pattern as well as a more wet look.
These two are smaller and came before the two large ones. I experimented with mark-making in the headlands to break up the edges and give a sense of light and rain falling across them. I think I could take this idea further with some really stormy seas but that's for another time!
I like the way the sun seems to break out from behind the clouds on this one. We often marvel at that effect on cloudy days in the UK. It seems to lift the spirits and give a sense of hope and transcendence in difficult times.
Finally, a rainbow one. Again I kept to predominantly greys so that the colours of the rainbow would really stand out. I've often observed that the sky behind a rainbow is usually quite a dense grey. It looks like it's still raining with the strong mark-making in the sky! I'm pleased with the little flashes of colour behind the trees - that was my intention!
I'm sorry these pictures don't have proper titles - I'm rushing to show these to you and need a bit more time to reflect on them. If you have any good ideas, please pop them in the comments below!
These originals are now available to purchase - just phone or email if you would like one. They are currently unframed. I will frame them in oak with art glass to order. There's an example of the moulding below.
