Painting; "Lifebuoy"

 Painting; "Lifebuoy"

Lifebuoy, oil on canvas, 30in x 40in (76cm x 102cm)

Background and Context

I am continuing to explore painting on larger canvases and colour, using a brighter palette. During my research, I have looked at the palette used by John Singer Sargent for his landscapes. I found examples of works by Sargent where his use of colour in sun and shade was very relevant to my work. I illustrate “The Black Brook” by way of example (see below). I like the way that the dark depths of the water spring out into the bright sunshine, and the grassy, sunlit bank includes colours which are both soft, but also shimmer in the light. The palette is very “English” (even though Sargent travelled widely and painted many views of Continental Europe).

The “English” factor is important to me as if I get the colours wrong, for example too bright, then I could end up with a Mediterranean feel.

John Singer Sargent, The Black Brook, c. 1908, oil on canvas

Another artist who captures the unique colours of the English coast and countryside is Dame Laura Knight (1877-1970). At an early stage in her career Knight painted startling views of the Cornish Coast, often on the cliff edge with a figure looking out. In The Cornish Coast (below), the light on the figures and rocks is subtly bright and atmospheric, whilst the sky remains cloudy with a lot of grey and intermittent blue. I think that you get this sort of effect very much in England, and I have tried to emulate this result in “Lifebuoy”.

 

Laura Knight,  The Cornish Coast, National Museum Wales, National Museum Cardiff

As I moved onto a larger canvas, I had to “scale up” the sketch and oil study I had done earlier (see images below). This gave me the opportunity to widen the viewpoint and open up the composition. I set out to capture the vast horizon of the Humber Estuary, and maximise the shadows in the foreground.

        Sketch for “Lifebuoy” painting

       Oil Study for “Lifebuoy” painting

Process

I used the same palette as previously. I also followed a similar process of working from dark to light and then adding detail. I painted the water in one session, allowing the paint to drip and drizzle in appropriate places. I added some highlights to the water at the end of the painting process, e.g. at the foot of the bank (see below).

Detail -water dribbling and highlights added

In the distance the north bank of the Humber tails off into infinity, and this aspect is a crucial part of the composition. The suggestion of an horizon is enough to evoke the scale and vastness of the view.  

Detail – suggestion of the horizon in the distance

The strong sunlight created interesting shadows in the foreground. I had evoked these in the sketch and study. When I came to paint the view on a much larger scale the shadows took on greater importance. I therefore used my artistic judgment to add some tree shadows and elongate the shadows inwards from the grasses on the side of the bank. The image below shows the painting before I added the “extra” shadows. I had been on a walk along the bank of the Humber that day (different location) and noticed the tree shadows en route, which gave me the idea. I think that the additional tonal elements and shapes provided by the shadows adds to the composition and provides more foreground interest.

 

   Before the addition of tree and grassy shadows in the foreground

Lifebuoy, final painting

Outcome

The large canvas gave me the opportunity to widen the viewpoint and explore the use of a vast horizon, as in some of the works of Anselm Kiefer. I continued to experiment with a warmer and livelier palette, and as a result I was able to portray the bright colours of the spring grass and deep shadows as I remembered them. Looking at the colours used by Singer Sargent and Laura Knight helped me to focus on expressing the “Englishness” of the view and the subtle light in the sky and water. I used the painting techniques of dribbling for the loose expressions of water, which I had discovered during my research into Peter Doig and Michael Andrews.

 

Painting: Footbridge, River Hull

 

Painting: Footbridge, River Hull

Footbridge, River Hull 61 x 45 cm

Background and Context

In my third study I wanted to discover how I could interpret the muddy banks of a tidal river. I had been on a couple of walks along the banks of the River Hull in the centre of the city during last year, and taken photographs.

I remembered how in one place there were bright green patches and lumps of grass growing in the brown clay along the river’s edge. Tall old warehouse lined the route and cast deep shadows, whilst through the gaps the sun shone brightly through. In front of me was a modern footbridge which gave scope to depict a solid structure and work with its strong form. In the distance, there was the distinctive shape of Hull’s tidal barrier and scaffolding to the right. Bollards in the foreground added to the composition and created a feeling of depth and perspective.

Process

I used the same palette and method of working as before. As I wanted a more muted image I left the background sky and much of the foreground void of paint apart from the grey/brown base coat. Where the muddy river flowed through and under the footbridge, I left some of the paint free to drip and dribble.

 

Dark and light tones (prior to the addition of detail)

Detail (above)

Outcome

I feel that my earlier experiments with paint handling, particularly the two large lock paintings, have helped me use different techniques for the effects I am wanting to achieve, for instance, the watery, muddy flow of the river, and the built-up mass of brown clay left by the receding tide.

CONCLUSIONS

The three colour studies have enabled me to consider the use of colour in different locations and with differing light sources – through a dark “keyhole”, with bright light and reflections, and with side light filtering through gaps in buildings. I depicted a pond, a canal and a tidal river – thus expanding the scope of my practice.

I used colours which I considered would produce an “English” palette, such as that used by Michael Andrews for his Thames Series. My use of colour was also informed by research I did, particularly drawing on the work of John Singer Sergeant.

The change of environment i.e. a river, as opposed to a canal, has given me the opportunity to experiment with the changing dynamic of tidal flow. I can build on this experience as I move forward and expand my practice to portray waterways in the bigger context of the Humber Estuary and large canvases.