Saltmarsh, mixed media painting - maybe finished?

Saltmarsh - maybe finished? 20x16 ins, mixed media and collage on canvas, Vivien Blackburn

The blue-mauve background that was surrounding the painting wasn't playing up the colours in the painting - instead it was fighting for attention with them. So I decided to change it to a deep bitter chocolate colour - burnt umber and cerulean blue, cooling and greying the brown. It's a colour that flickers throught the painting. It now highlights the colours and their subtle changes from warm to cool (that sadly don't pick up well in the photos) and emphasises the drawing.

There is a very little black from the charcoal but all other darks are deep shades of brown and blue.

I added flicks of copper in the leaves of the tree, in the tree on the left and in the reflections. I like the warmth against the other colours. That is also quite difficult to photograph being metallic. It's a bit more subtle in real life, the camera make it gleam too brightly - the second to last photograph catches it as it looks best.

Details:





The pale blue is a bit more lavender than it appears here - it's so difficult to get the colour balance for it right without changing the turquoisey blue too much. This last image has a bit too much of a pink cast in the lights - they should have a very very slight warm golden tinge, too slight to pick up well.

The canvas is a deep sided box canvas, painted in that bitter chocolate, and won't be framed - though this is one that would work well in the very dark wood frames popular in the US.

What do you think?

Comments

Robyn Sinclair said…
What do I think? I think it's unfair you can make such beautiful paintings, Vivien!

When you mentioned copper colour before I didn't realise you meant a metallic pigment. Beautiful. I have a dear artist friend who keeps wanting me to use metallic leaf or pigment, to the extent she has provided me with the medium to attach it. I had better get cracking.
4:03 pm
vivien said…
oh that will be fun - you could use it as chine colle in your printmaking too?

(and thanks for the vote of confidence!)
4:08 pm
Sjamesportraiture said…
Beautiful work, the copper and blues just sing! This could have so easily become jumbled and fussy, but you've pulled it all off, well done.
7:25 pm
Pam Johnson Brickell said…
Stunning, Vivien! I'm with Robyn :)
1:07 am
Jeanette Jobson said…
I think its beautiful. It says cold but that touch of copper is a perfect hit of colour that breathes life.

I love it. Please make prints.
12:07 pm
vivien said…
thank you all :>)

now on to do some more in the series :>)

prints? mmmm maybe I should think about going that route too
2:24 pm
Dave Linder said…
Great textures in you painting - I really like this one.
10:46 pm
vivien said…
Thanks Dave - I too get hung up on subjects (like your current oil refinery tanks :>) ) - this is from an old sketchbook and part of a long series on this part of the North Norfolk coast :>)
11:18 pm
Lindsay said…
I have throughly enjoyed seeing this piece develop. Thanks for all the in process photos and close ups! I too love to work with metalic pigmens and just bought a Golden Acrylic called stainless steel.

I'm excited to see how your next piece grows!
6:45 pm
vivien said…
that sounds an interesting colour - subtley metallic

the next piece is undergoing major changes and being recalcitrant :>(
9:37 pm
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Eye, Urban/Rural exhibition

Image
Vivien Blackburn's work in the Urban/Rural show We've just hung a group show at the The Eye Project, Urban/Rural show.  If you want to come and see it it's on for a month - well worth seeing, 11 lovely artists and some fabulous work. Those large canvasses are 40 inches square. There are rural landscapes, flowerscapes, intriguing textile work including a large knitted building, abstracts .... something for everyone. It's in the gallery below the cafe in the Adult Education Centre at the top of Wellington street, Leicester, opposite Fenwicks.  Meet the Arttists day is Saturday 1st April 10-2.  Come and have a chat with us?
Read more

Hedges silhouetted agains the snow, winter light: watercolour and Derwent tinted charcoal pencils in Stillmand and Birn Beta Hardback sketchbook

Image
 Detail  I have always liked the calligraphic tangle of the hedges when they are sihouetted against the sky.   Recent snowfall meant even more opportunities with amazing light and the landscape simplified and hidden by the snow, throwing hedges into relief. Above is a detail of a double page sketch in the lovely Stillman and Birn Beta A4 hardback sketchbook.  This paper is so forgiving and the watercolour works beautifully with it.  It allowed me to work through wet washes with charcoal pencil - something that tears many papers, leaving holes.  Some of the hedge is paint, some tinted charcoal. First snow, more on the way, winter light: silhouetted hedges in watercolour and Derwent tinted charcoal in a Stillman and Birn A4 beta hardback sketchbook The earlier warm golden glow of the low sun is covered by clouds, threatening more snow to come.   The spiky calligraphic marks of the hedge and the underlying form of the bank, with some of the taller dried grasses showing
Read more

looking at non traditional composition and quiet vs busy areas in paintings

Image
Paul Klee I thought I'd look at non-traditional composition - where the rule of thirds isn't the key but the painting relies on different compositional methods. in response to an excellent series of posts on the various ways of looking at composition by Katherine (link at end). These alternative considerations or breaking of rules - but making it work - appeal to me more than too heavy a reliance on the rule of thirds. The painting above, by Paul Klee is a 'field' painting' - the composition is overall, the eye travels around enjoying the glowing colour that he creates by juxtaposing complementary colours, subtle greyed greens enhancing the oranges/reds/pinks. Most of the image is composed of the various greens, greeny browns and khakis, with accents of the warm colours. When working this way it's important that the balance is unequal and that the accent colours are placed carefully to keep the eye moving in the way the artist wants. A couple of the brighter
Read more