I've started a new water piece, even though it doesn't look very much like water at this point. Back to my beloved Middle Cove and to a river that rushes through the valley, cuts into the beach and flows into the sea. Rocks have been smoothed and tumbled from the surrounding beach and river bed as the water flows over them and shallow pools form along the way.
It was one of these pools that I peered into, always hopeful for inspiration or perhaps some aquatic creature lurking. This time it was the light that caught my eye as it made ripples across the stones.
I did a study for this piece a couple of weeks ago, working out colour and composition and also deciding on the medium. Ever a glutton for punishment, I went with acrylic, which I love and hate.
It is very slow going with these rocks and each one becomes a painting in its own right almost. The piece is 16 x 20 on stretched canvas and I'm sure there may be interludes of other pieces while it progresses. Right now its pretty much just values on canvas with hints of detail where I couldn't resist.
8 comments:
Jeanette, I remember the study you did for this painting and I really liked it. I will certainly be following your progress with much interest.
Beautiful!
Beautiful Jeanette. Looking forward to watching the progress.
Christiane, its not much to look at yet, but I hope it will get better over time. One rock at a time... :)
Thanks Matteo
Penny, thank you. It will be a bit time consuming, but I'll get there and have more updates soon I hope.
It already looks as though it will be a master piece! I love the way you have handled the distorted light across the rocks - You can really tell that they are under water! I also have a love/hate relationship with acrylics. I am going to try oils sometime soon :0)
I find it interesting to see how much detail you have in a one part of the canvas whilst the rest is bare. I liked the study so I'm interested to see how it comes out.
Sandra, I think every medium has its good and bad points. Right now I'm wishing I'd gone for oils on this rock piece.
Sue, I sometimes wander all over a canvas blocking in all the values and other times work in a more orderly way trying for some semblance of direction. I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this one.
It's looking really good! Rocks are very difficult (I stopped myself before I wrote "hard"). I have tried the kind you're doing time and again, but not much success and not with the added challenge of water ripples!
Yesterday I put up on my blog a little watercolor (4X6) with some stones in it. Since they were black and shiny they were a different sort of problem.
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