beginning new seascapes


start of a new seascape 40 inch square canvas

I've started on some new seascapes. They are based on the sketches I did in Cornwall and memories of the beach at all times of day with the waves crashing and the light and weather constantly changing.

I'm abstracting from them - I want these paintings to be about how I feel about the spirit of the area and not simply a realistic interpretation of it. I now have to let these early marks dry before I can continue and as I'm still having to work extra hours it won't be a fast process :(

start of a new beach painting 30 inch square canvas

These are at a very very early stage and have a long way to go. Hopefully a lot of these marks will remain in the finished piece but there are many layers and adjustments to go - I don't have a clear pre-worked-out result in my head but simply an idea of the feeling of the particular weather and light and moment that I want to recapture. As the painting develops it may change dramatically - it's a bit like jazz where the painting speaks back and I'll know as I go (hopefully) where I'm going next.

start of a new painting 30 ins square

I wish I was back at the house on the cliff now, watching the tides and wild waves and the ever changing skies.

http://vivienb.blogspot.com/search/label/Cornwall link to research work and plein air sketches

http://www.bedruthanstepshotel.co.uk/webcam.html link to a webcam just along the cliff from where we stayed

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Comments

Lindsay said…
I'm looking forward to seeing this series develop. I also liked seeing the whole project link. No matter what media, your work is so connected to place and your style.
1:26 pm
Suzanne McDermott said…
This promises to be very exciting. Thanks for showing the process. Even without the references and webcam - the images are in your mind from all the time you spent observing and just being there.
1:26 pm
Shirley Anne Sherris said…
Hi
Even these early stages capture what I never can - sadly I am not a painter. I am studying your approach on the quiet but would probably put some surface stitching over it to create more texture - or hide my poor painting technique.
Look forward to seeing the finished pieces.
A mono-ish colour abstract approach to the sheep and trees in the snow????
Cheers
3:08 pm
vivien said…
thanks Lindsay, Suzanne and Shirley :)

Lindsay I'm glad you feel my work stays 'me' as I read so much about developing a 'style' and sticking to it and I don't feel that way as you know - I feel that 'you' will come through however much you experiment as long as you are true to yourself :)

Suzanne yes, I feel that putting away the references helps me to abstract as they can make me tighten up.

Shirley a mono-ish approach to your trees and sheep in the snow would make a wonderful painting - and you know the place so a lot more information is in your head about it than simply working from a photograph would give :) - if noone knows what we are talking about do look at Shirleys photos on her blog of the recent snow. I felt that 2 of them would combine to make a fabulous painting with only a little adjustment to how they sit on the screen to make them gel as a single square image.
6:27 pm
sharon young said…
Hi Vivien
It's such a privilege to see your work from the very early beginnings. I really feel I would love to work more in this way, and I think I might be brave enough to have a go watching how you approach this painting. But it's very true what you say about 'you' will come through whatever direction you choose, and so my approach would definitely be different to yours and I'm certain I wouldn't be able to resist putting a reference to imagery in there before too long.
You're right, Shirley's sheep are a great subject! I'd be very interested to see an abstract from the photo Shirley!
10:08 pm
Karen said…
This looks likes a wonderful start to a new series of work
Happy New Year
Warm Regards
K
9:49 am
vivien said…
Have a go Sharon - collage is one of the easiest midway steps to abstraction as you can't get too detailed! preliminary collages and then go into the final piece with that in mind?

Thanks Karen and a Happy and productive new year to you too :)
3:45 pm
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