I find something hynotic about the rush of ocean waves over rocks and there is no shortage of either in my neck of the woods.
This watercolour is of the surf at Pouch Cove. There is no beach there, just jagged rocks that reach out under the sea and appear with the ebb and flow of tides and waves. There is nothing smooth in this cove. History and 'stories' say that it was one of the original settlements in Newfoundland. All the summer fishers from England were to return with their bounty at the end of the summer. It was against the law to stay here. Some rebellious souls decided to chance their luck and chose Pouch Cove because of its inaccessible harbour, making it seem an unlikely place to look should the authorities come searching for the rebels.
I have found that I have learned a lot from my time spent simply watching the movement of waves against the shore and over rocks. When I initially started recording water, it seemed like a daunting task to know where to begin. Watching the repetitive motion and knowing how water reacts and moves over different surfaces; how it reflects the light, the colours of the sea that changes around rocks, the foam that changes colour depending on the weather - there are so many things to see in the water that you don't really consider until you begin to paint.
I still have much to learn about water and how to draw and paint it well. Each image that I create brings me one step closer to satisfaction.
6 comments:
your observation is really showing in this developing series :>)
Your feeling for the movement and drama is really coming through
I agree about the wave watching - I can watch the sea for ever without it losing its thrill
Painting from a still photograph without observation never results in what you've achieved here - which is a real sense of movement, the real colours, a sense of place, not some frozen lump of stylised water with no real understanding of how it actually moves and the power of it :>)
You have really captured something essential here. This is very eloquent and elegant study, Jeanette.
I agree Vivien. You HAVE to see the ocean light and movement to be able to paint it. You can still paint from photos, but you have to know how it moves and have seen the colours in real life to make the image work.
Thanks Laura. I'm working at getting my water to be water-like instead of stiff or pallid. This one is moving in the right direction.
You have this lovely illusion of sea spray in this one, particullarly in the upper right hand corner. Lots of movement and light!
Yes, I very much agree with Vivien, Laura and Lindsay - it's a great body of experiental knowledge your building up with the observations and it is really showing in this piece as in others before.
I totally agee, Jeanette! the sound of breaking waves is hypnotic and captures me too for hours on end! This is beautiful and has is own bit of hypnotism too...
ronell
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