Wednesday 21 September 2011

Fresh Air at Last

My frustration at not getting out to paint had begun to irritate me and the first rain free day that came along saw me pack the plein air kit and head for my favourite stretch of coast. Light conditions were variable, my technique really rusty but the sheer pleasure of splashing oil paint in the fresh air made up for it all.

As I said the technique is rusty, meaning that the myriad decisions that need to be taken during the painting process were taking a lot longer than would normally be the case. That means problems with the changing light. It takes confidence to map a lighting plan at the start and stick to it regardless of the changes that are taking place in front of you. The constant observation required to paint sends all sorts of conflicting messages between the scene and what has made it onto the canvas. Nevertheless I went home with a certain amount of contentment having made it out at last.

Marsden Beach - Oil on canvas board 12" x 10"

2 comments:

Peter Ward said...

It looks like the wheels are turning a lot easier Mick. Keep them coming!

Unknown said...

Peter - starting to feel a little more comfortable about it.