Seascapes 52: week 12
If you’re looking for something dinky to liven up a shelf or narrow wall, this week’s Seascapes 52 might do the trick. The 12th blog in the series shares my latest trio. They’re currently livening up a little ledge above the stairs that lead to my studio. Take a look:
Created simultaneously as a trio, you could hang these seascape oil paintings individually or together. They have a bit of texture too, so I’d recommend a floating frame if you’re hanging any of them individually. Although I’ve displayed them horizontally, I think they work best displayed vertically. But either way, pop the pink one in the centre with the blues balanced on either side.
These seascapes are semi-abstract. They’re not based on any particular site. They feature a mostly unified colour palette (so that they work as a set) but with some subtle differences to suggest different times of day.
I painted these to be useful. Not everyone has the wall space or budget for a big seascape. And when I’m doing markets, it’s good to have some affordable, smaller pieces for people who are buying gifts.
Interestingly, working at a much reduced scale presented some technical food for thought. I’m used to creating sweeping skies, using my own movement to get a sense of expansion. At a smaller scale, I can’t rely purely on gesture to do this. Similarly, adding texture to the waves, needs to be much more constrained and delicate. I had to be more selective about which of my studio gadgets I could use.
Although I change scales quite frequently, this is the first time in a while that I found a format challenged me to consciously, rather than intuitively, adapt my approach and tools. Of course, that doesn’t put me off, it just makes me determined to buy more canvases at this size and experiment.
For the next round, I’d like to experiment with square brushwork and different colours. I’ve recently treated myself to some new blue hues from the Wallace Seymour oil paint range. One of these is likely to get a test drive when I’ve restocked on dinky canvases.
This new seascape trio is freshly varnished and available in my Land & Sea collection.
Thanks for reading. Can't believe I've done the first 12. 40 more to go! Join me again next Wednesday to wade out with the 13th Seascapes 52.