Tuesday 19 January 2010

Project update - work in progress

Saltmarsh update - work in progress - Vivien Blackburn



Saltmarsh, work in progress, 20x16 ins on canvas. Vivien Blackburn

This is where the canvas now is. It's a collage with acrylic paint, charcoal, acrylic ink - some of the collage is metallic gold tissue paper that comes through in a few places. You can see the stage before this here. It's very loosely based on the sketch of the saltmarsh done plein air, but done mainly from memory and much edited.

I've sent that middle building back a bit, changed the colour of the border from a turquoise based blue to a mauvey one and introduced that into the painting.

I've brought the light colour into the sky to silhouette the trees.

I've collage a little more texture into the sand with tissue paper.

I've flicked little bits of paint for gravel and leaves.

I've worked on the way your eye follows the lines of the wet mud/sand etc through and up.

I've also been refining the 'some, a little and a lot' - making the turquoisey blue flicker throught the painting but covering a lot that was that colour - using more of the soft beige to bring light into the sky and elsewhere.

You can see stages and close ups below:




I'm thinking of adding the faintest traces of copper in the trees and the bush in front of the building on the left - just a hint of a warm colour.

I won't be able to work on it for a couple of days now as I'm teaching extra hours, so it can sit on my desk while I think about where next.

Any thoughts?

8 comments:

Hillary said...

I have no suggestions - sorry. For me each stage is stunning and evocative and I think finished, then you do more, say more! The marks you make and the colours you choose are to die for. I just love it.

vivien said...

Thank you Hillary - that was a very nice comment to read to start the day :>)

Sarah said...

I love those trees Viv, and yes, go for some copper. Your work has a good presence, feels very solid and there to me!

Laura Frankstone said...

Nobody can do atmospherics the way you do, Vivien---this is gorgeous. The play between gold and blue, warm and cool here, is (to use Hillary's word) stunning. This is a wonderful project.

Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...

This is truly beautiful Vivien, you can feel so proud of this. The copper additions could be nice, but even without, it is solid enough to stand beautifully on its own.
Ronelle

Jeanette Jobson said...

It looks so cold and wonderful. The blues are perfect here, they really depict the cold.

Yes a touch of copper to add that hint of warmth in the brush and trees would work well I think.

Lindsay said...

I love the whole composition and all the media you have used. MAGICAL

vivien said...

thank you all for the encouragement :>)

I'm wanting to get on with it but really can't until Friday :>(