"The artist...is also a born adventurer. His explorations, unlike those of a tourist, are rewarded by the discovery of beauty spots unmentioned in the guide books, and with tireless curiosity and an exceptional proneness to wonderment, he will come upon objects of remarkable interest overlooked or even shunned by more disciplined observers."

Augustus John, R.A.




Sunday 1 March 2009

Flamborough Head

Flamborough Head. Pencil, Black Biro and Coloured Pencils.
Field Sketch drawn 22/10/95.

and Studio Painting.....


Flamborough Head. Acrylic on gesso primed board. 180mm x 250mm.


The final flourish of the Yorkshire Wolds as they meet the North Sea. This chalk arch and stack lie just south of the Fog Horn station on Flamborough Head.
I've been working on this painting on and off over the last week finally finishing it this morning. I struggled a bit with it at first as I couldn't get the tone and colour of the sea correct as it faded towards the horizon. Once I got that right I worked down to the foreground, painting in the structure of the rocks before working on the waves coming onto the beach.

2 comments:

Keith Tilley said...

I like the way you've painted the cliffs without overdoing the detail.

I think it was a good idea to include more blue in the foreground. It really helps to make the chalk cliffs stand out.

Stuart Brocklehurst said...

Hi Keith
Thanks for your comments. They are very encouraging, particularly as I had been concerned not to let such a large area of white in the centre of the picture overpower the composition. Being relatively featureless white chalk it was hard to determine just how much detail to put in without overdoing it.