Redgate Beach (84)

This oil painting of Redgate Beach near Margaret River comes from a photo in a tourist brochure. I mistakenly titled the painting Redgrave Beach to begin with, and it wasn’t until I saw an article in the paper about someone who had died there that I realised my mistake.

This beach, although very beautiful, is notoriously dangerous and it’s general beach hazard rating is 8 (highly hazardous). In fact, the hull of the shipwrecked Georgette that sank in 1876 can be seen on a calm day.

I started this painting near the end of an art class, after I had finished another painting, and got most of the elements in place in a short time. The refining of the painting was an easy job after that so it came together very quickly. I find that the paintings that I finish quickly are often the best as there is less reworking and they seem fresher.

More good news - I’ve sold another 3 paintings since the last blog! Simply Red sold at the Moore’s Building exhibition, my pastel of the Cappuccino strip in Fremantle sold from the Two Rubens exhibition, and my first abstract, Urban Sprawl sold on Artfido.

Karri forest (76)

This picture of a Karri forest in south western Australia was done at the request of my partner, Ian, who encouraged me to do a larger than usual painting in oils. Although I have taken many photos of the forests in the south west over the years, I took this composition from a travel brochure.

It took me quite a few weeks to finish this one. Because it was a larger canvas than usual I started by applying the paint with a trowel to get a textured look, reminiscent of tree bark. Then later, when the canvas was thickly covered with paint, I started to define the individual trees.

It was an interesting experience and I would like to do more larger oil paintings, maybe using a simpler subjects. For the record, Ian likes it (though it is for sale if anyone wants to buy it!) His plan is to create a frame for it out of Karri wood to complement the subject.

A river runs through it (54)

This scene is from a photo I took while on a hike with my cousins in Grindleford. It was a lovely crisp autumn day and the colours of the leaves on the trees were stunning.

I decided to do this painting in oils but it took me a long time to get it right and I nearly gave up on it at one point. I’m glad I didn’t though because I feel it captures the light and mood of an English forest in the autumn.

Rottnest poles (22)

A couple of years ago, Maree and I went to Rottnest Island for a day to take photos to inspire our art. Rottnest is a small island about 18 km off the coast of WA, fringed by turquoise bays. No cars are allowed on the island, so visitors cycle around or take the bus. Small marsupials called quokkas inhabit the island and it was these that gave the island its name - early Dutch explorers thought the quokkas were rats and called the island ‘Rat’s nest’.

This scene is from a photo I took of some old poles near the shore. I loved the patterns in the sea but, as this was my first oil painting, I found them difficult to reproduce. I managed to capture the effects eventually and learnt a lot in the process (thanks to Brian Simmonds, my art teacher).

This painting will be exhibited at Fidels, Essex Street, Fremantle from 26th January to 25th February 2010.

Murray River - dark side of the tree (24)

My friend, Steve, photographed this scene when he was canoeing on the Murray River near Pemberton. He took a photo from both sides of the tree - this is the dark side. This was only my second oil painting and I made the faux pas of painting it onto canvas without leaving enough room to stretch it. My friend, Maree, who is also an artist, gave me the idea of sewing it onto a piece of plain canvas which could then be stretched over the frame. The finished effect was very striking.

I love the way the light shining through the trees and lighting up the fallen log and the water gives the scene an ‘otherworldly’ feel to it. And I was thrilled to be able to capture some of that feeling in my painting, especially given my lack of experience with oils.

This painting featured in my first solo exhibition in 2008 at a café on Wray Avenue in Fremantle, and was bought by the son of the café owner. I later showed a print of the painting to another friend and she asked me do a pastel painting of the same scene for her. I’ll post the pastel version in the next blog - they look remarkably similar even though they are painted in different mediums.