Thursday 29 January 2009

Painting and Playing God

Here is the second in my meditation triptych series.  This one uses a detail view of the rocks that I was sitting on, made of serpentine.  Beautiful rich red coloured rock shot through with creamy white veins and patches of green.  It is lovely to look at and I have convinced myself that it colours the sand, I can see pinkish hues in the sand, I know I can!
The time of day for this painting is late afternoon, it is winter, the light is low and rain is coming.  There is a slightly ominous colour to the sky, the rain did come later in quite a big storm too so perhaps that accounts for the strange light.


This is the watercolour sketch for the larger painting.  The sketches in the earlier post, "Training Session", are for this painting also.  I find that by doing these I can calm my senses down and think about colours, tones, effects of light and what is happening in the picture.  Also what I want to happen in the picture, after all, by the time a sketch makes it to become a finished painting, destined for the framers and then the gallery wall, you the artist, are most defiantly the boss.  You can twist light, move mountains if necessary, smooth a cliff or ruffle up a forest.  It is your world, you get to decide what you want to show, to hide or to underline.  
Ah ha!  I have just worked out why I have spent my life being an artist.  I am very bossy, didn't get to be God so became the next best thing, an artist.

6 comments:

Jeanette Jobson said...

I do like these triptychs Sarah. The serpentine is fabulous and I'm sure the sand does contain it.

The light before a storm is always unique and you've shown it well here.

Making A Mark said...

I love serpentine! Whenever I'm on a beach where there is any I come back with pockets full of pebbles...

These triptychs are working really well. That seascape is stunner - as it should be given it's been produced by God's right hand woman! ;)

How are you framing them?

vivien said...

this works SO well - an absolutely beautiful light and the play of colours is gorgeous

The Lizard is probably an area I know least and I don't at all remember the serpentine rocks - fascinating

Lindsay said...

Sarah, please play god more often!

Kate (Cathy Johnson) said...

These are all lovely, Sarah...the transition from watercolor to oil is gorgeous...

india flint said...

the view from afar framed by a nearer examination is intriguing