BRACE WORKSHOP No.3- SEASCAPES

A favourite subject for so many artists, seascapes encapture light, colour and memories of summer vacations. The way these have been depicted over the years ranges dramatically and in this workshop we will take a look at just a few of the many approaches to creating seascapes. This next workshop is at 1pm GMT on Tuesday 13th April 2021. Sign up here with a £5 charitable donation … https://www.alzheimers-brace.org/Event/art-workshops

TURNING TIDES 75.5 x 91.5 x 3.5 cm. Water, light, sun drenched beaches, the sound of laughter…no it isn’t tropical but a beach near Constantine Bay in Cornwall on a beautiful English summer’s day

AFTER THE STORM. 60 x 60 x 3 cm. I studied architecture in Sussex and the best time of the day? Walking along the beach after a winter’s storm to find the rays of light shining through the grey storm clouds, no-one around except a few seagulls. Afterwards we would dive into a café on the seafront for a hot chocolate and watch as the light changed over the water.

INTO THE LIGHT. 100 x 100 x 4 cm. I could spend (and probably have spent) hours just trying to capture the roll of a wave and the colour of the water as the waves gently lap on the sand. Here I settled for expressing the sheer expanse of water with titanium white and silver foil collaged to indicate the light as it bounces across the waves.

One of my favourite things to do is walk by the sea and you will have noticed how the colour of the water varies significantly depending on location and weather. For example, the muted greys and greens of the North Sea in winter compared to the aqua blue tropical shades of the Indian Ocean. I am drawn to the subject because I love capturing LIGHT but rather than reproduce exactly what I see I try to capture and express the feeling of phsyically being there; the waves crashing on the beach, the time of day, light, warmth from the sun and the natural habitat. I have been known to complete canvases directly en plain air but I have to admit that its best to choose your spot wisely - so much sand ended up in the paints I didn’t need to worry about adding texture. The experience was fantastic though and I definitely advise you to give it a try!

I always start with a watercolour sketch because it is the best way for me to record colours and details. When my kids were younger this meant seizing ten minutes between the family lunch and organising trips to keep kids quiet but now they are older I get the luxury of spending time chilling out on the beach and just painting. On our travels we lived in Spain for several years and return there whenever we can. The beaches north of Huelva face the Atlantic and are part of the protected nature reserve. The five mile spit of land creates a natural harbour with white sandy beaches stretching as far as Cadiz to the south and northwards up to wards the Portuguese border. The local fishing village of El Rompido offers fantastic Tapas and I have often dreamed of holding residential art workshops at our Villa. With only an hour to Sevilla, an hour to Faro, thirty minutes to Ayamonte and the Portuguese border and two hours tops to the Sierras, it is a beautiful location and perfect as an Art Retreat for workshops ( and part of my five year goal). I am shamelessly adding the information here :).

Watercolour in Krabi, Thailand. This sketch gave me the inspiration later for a couple of paintings and a commission. Such a beautiful location!

Amongst the many contemporary Australian artists I follow Mark Waller stands out when it comes to vibrant realistic and tropical Australian seascapes (You Tube Channel here) . What I like about his work is the process he applies to his artwork which is based on a thorough understanding of the nature of light reflecting and refracting through water; the substrate, the water itself and the reflections of the sky above. Combining these principles results in a very powerful and realistic painting. Another contemporary artist I like is Julian Meagher who paints swathes of graduated skies and minimalist beaches along with still life and portraits in oils, usually with a limited palette of indigo, grey and pink. Others I follow on Instagram include Debbie Mackinnon, Karina Buckingham and James Bartholomew in the UK but there are many more. If you can recommend any links please feel free to post a comment below.

Looking forward to the next workshop on Tuesday 13th April 2021 at 1pm for BRACE- you can sign up here https://www.alzheimers-brace.org/Event/art-workshops ( all welcome with a £5 donation to BRACE from beginners plus -or if you would just like to watch some art for an hour).