Painting: "Canal"

 Painting: "Canal"

Canal, oil on canvas, 61cm x 45cm

Background

Continuing my exploration of colour, I decided to follow on from "The Gate" with a painting where I could explore lush greens in a waterside setting during early summer.

On the same walk as before, I continued until I reached the canal. I am fascinated by the stark "Brutalist" architecture of the typical bridges we see every day crossing canals across the country, and how they blend in with the natural surrounding landscape. They form a fascinating feature which adds structure to a landscape painting. Interesting shapes and shadows are formed and reflections in the water beneath. In this image, the sloping concrete sides of the canal bridge and the two fences which run alongside not only create a focal point, but their reflections in the water below are memorising. The light struck the fencing in the right hand corner, making it shine brightly in the water beneath, whilst the fence in the shade shows up dark against the slowly moving pool of canal water. The early summer bright greens were also caught by the sun's rays and I contrasted this effect with the darker tones of the greens in the shade.

I used the same palette as for "The Gate", and a similar process. I started out by blocking in the dark colours, blocked in the lighter ones and then went back over the whole painting gradually adding detail. Drips and blank parts of the canvas were included as before to help attain a watery effect and to help let the eye rest and wander.

Dark tones added

Light tones added

Outcome

This colour study really made me think about the different types of greens in early summer and how the seasons affect colour. I wanted to convey the feeling of how spring passes into summer. It may be that I have over-emphasised the brightness of the greens, but that is how I remember the day. There was a strange stillness around at the time, which I think was an indication of the first lockdown. I hope that I have managed to convey some of that eerie atmosphere and the idea of timelessness while the world stood still. Memory played a big part in the development of this painting, as I have been on this walk many times over the years.

Painting: "The Gate"

 Painting:  "The Gate"

The Gate, oil on canvas, 61cm x 45cm

Background and Context

I am continuing to explore the use of colour in my paintings. I have already done a number of tonal studies in monochrome on the subject of water and canals and I am now using that work as a foundation to build on. The concentration on light and dark areas focused attention on tone which I can now transcribe into how I want a particular work to look and feel. Colour (or lack of it) is a great indicator of mood and atmosphere.

At the beginning of the first Lockdown last year, I went for a number of local walks from my home. My destination was the Market Weighton Canal, but as I walked along the path to get there, I passed the local ponds. The path was narrow and overhung with trees. Being early summer and a sunny, hot day, the light was very bright. As I glanced to the right there was a gap in the tree-lined route with a gate and fence, which cordoned off the pond from the track. Through the darkness, there was a gap, through which I could see the glistening surface of the pond and the view beyond. I was excited by what I saw because of the strong silhouette of the the gate and tree to the right. Fallen leaves from the autumn shone bright orange on the water's edge. I took a photograph to remind me of the moment.

I chose this view as an exercise in the use of colour due to the dramatic contrast in colour between the foreground and middle ground/background. Dappled light filtered through onto the undergrowth and across some shallow steps to the gate. I could remember the scene quite well. 

Process

I worked on a soft grey/brown background which I had mixed from ultramarine, burnt umber and titanium white. I included these colours in my palette, together with yellow ochre, permanent yellow medium, permanent red medium and quinacridone rose - a small number of colours to work from and mix as required.  

I started with the light areas, such as the sky and pond and the bright pockets of colour. I then overpainted with the shapes of the silhouettes, mixing dark shades of brown and greens. I let the wet paint dribble down in parts to recreate the look and feel of water, and to loosen up the picture. I left areas of the canvas blank to let the painting breathe.

The Gate, detail

Outcome

The exercise gave me the opportunity to work with contrasting/complimentary colours. I think that the contrast of the bright orange and dark green works well. The dark shapes in the foreground stand out against the lighter shades of the pond and sky, which have a slight orange touch to them. I have not managed to capture the effect of the trees to the left. They displayed soft, yellow new leaves, but I wonder if I should have added more shape and colour over the tree branches. I decided to leave the painting as it was however, as I felt I could lose some of what I had already achieved. On the whole, I think that the painting works well and was good practice for the use of colour. 

Printmaking: "Pochoir" Technique

 Printmaking: "Pochoir" Technique

Hoopoe Fantasy, screen print with pochoir technique

I had watched a demonstration on Zoom of the "pochoir" technique by Tim Needham, tutor at the Ropewalk Printmakers. The technique involves using stencils, through which one can add colour and shapes using acrylic paint. Tim made a very good image of a pigeon.

I was inspired to think what I could do, and I looked through some of my old prints. A while ago, I went to a workshop on screen printing, using stencils, and had produced a number of images based on the hoopoe bird, which has a very distinctive silhouette with colourful feathers.

Original Screen print

I thought that to add colour using the pochoir method would add life to the image. I chose certain areas of the bird to add shape and colour to emphasise its attributes, but really it was a fantasy bird.

Outcome

I think that the pochoir method gives a very bold outline, which is excellent for certain subjects, such as the strong shape of the bird. Bright patches of colour add to the image. I would certainly consider using this method again where I want to emphasise shape and colour.

Printmaking: Etching, hand coloured with soft Pastel

 Printmaking: Etching, hand coloured with soft Pastel Etching 

"The Old Ways", etching and aquatint with soft pastel

M.V. "Irene" loading 10,000 tons of sugar for Algeria. Queen Elizabeth Dock, Hull, September, 1972. Photographer - unknown.

I was inspired to make an etching using a photograph of men loading sugar, taken in 1972.

I liked the shapes of the sacks, the taught ropes and the struggle of the men as they man-handled the load. The light was interesting as the men worked in the murky darkness

I etched the print on aluminium and it created a pitted surface. Thinking about frottage, I thought that if I added soft pastel I could use the surface texture to add atmosphere.

I chose yellows and oranges for the areas where the light was seeping through, emphasised the dark tones around the sacks and added red and blue in the foreground for the detail of the figures.

Outcome

I was disappointed with the etching in its original state as it was very pitted. However, the addition of soft pastel not only added colour, but also texture to the print. In the end the print had a successful outcome, the process used adds to the nostalgia and I feel that the image has a lot of character.

Paintings: Lock Gates

Paintings: Lock Gates

LOCK PAINTINGS

1.       Lock Gates, Closed

Lock Gates, Water Surge Lock, oil on canvas, 36”/91”cm x 28”/71cm 

On my theme of working with natural and man-made elements, I decided to experiment further with my theme of water using the inspiration from my sketches, photographs and video recordings.

Process

I started by buying some larger canvases (36”/91cm x 28”/71cm), and continued to work in oils with the following palette:

-          Titanium white

-          Ultramarine deep

-          Burnt umber

-          Yellow ochre

-          Permanent Red medium (not used for this painting)

-          Quinacridone Rose (not used for this painting)

I then painted the canvases in a grey base coat which I mixed from burnt umber, ultramarine deep and titanium white. The colour palette is sympathetic to my continuing theme of mood, memory and narrative, within the context of natural and man-made settings.

I also introduced larger paint brushes (50mm and 38mm standard commercial use). The idea was to maximise the advantage of using a larger canvas to obtain freer arm movements and a wider variety of techniques with the larger brushes to better portray the characteristics of moving water. I had done some earlier experiments and an oil study.

I started straight away with the painting of the water. My idea was to experiment and explore. If the work was a disaster, then it did not matter. If the result worked out, I could then paint in the rest of the image.

Having already done a study of the same scene helped. I propped the study up in front of me to guide my work, and I examined it closely on frequent occasions to remind myself as to what had been successful last time.

The grey base created a mid-tone from which to work from as regarding tone and colour. I painted the deeper/darker areas of the water a shade of black and then over-painted in lighter colours. I introduced yellow ochre to produce lighter, muddier, colours and (mixed with ultramarine) to create greenish tinges in areas where the light caught the water.

I used the larger brushes in different angles, sometimes turning the brush to use it on the narrower side. I made sweeping gestures and shorter, sharper accents to create surges and crescendos of movement. To finish off, I used the brushes with a stabbing action to create the effect of spray. I used the rigger brush to make more delicate swirls of action where the water was coming to rest, before it was whipped up again by the currents. I had learned a lot from my earlier experiments which I put into practice. I did not overwork the painting. I did not linger on this process as I wanted to get the effect of spontaneity to match that of the real water.

I thought that the effect was reasonably successful, and I then proceeded to paint in the rest of the picture.  I maximised the light and dark tones and thought hard about how the painting would all work together. I also created blank areas with the aim of allowing the eye to rest and bring more focus to the churn and spray of the moving elements of the water.

Lastly, I added some pockets of grass which had taken hold in the crevices along the top and side of the lock gates, thus adding to the theme of the link between natural and man-made elements.

  Lock Gates, Open

Lock Gates, Outflow, oil on canvas, 36”/91”cm x 28”/71cm 

I chose to paint another version of the lock gates – this time with them open. The water was flowing outwards, slowing as it made its way out of the locks and almost at standstill in the distance. There are swathes of brown, muddy water and mud banks.

One of the reasons for painting this scene was the opportunity to contrast the movement of water at the lock gates in different circumstances. There were no big splashes, the water moved round in swirling actions within the lock pit and then flowed out gently into the estuary. I put into practice what I had learned from my research into the painting techniques of Michael Andrews and Peter Doig during my paint handling experiments

Process.

Stage 1 involved sketching in the scene with a line drawing in oil paint.

I then made watery dribbles to capture the slow movement of the water. I was more definite with my paint handling towards the mouth of the river as the movement of water was nearly at a standstill at that point. The water “twirled” more inside the lock gates and I moved a large brush around in circling, deliberate movements to reflect the state of the current at that point.

I went on to paint in blocks of colour for the gates themselves and lastly added the detail such as ropes and chains.

I painted the background hill across the estuary in cools blues and greens to suggest distance, and the nearer, grassy banks a summer green.

The blue railings and chains also added colour.

I did not fill in all the gaps on the canvas. This is because I wanted to draw attention to the contrast between the man-made, colossal wooden barriers of the gates and the freedom of the natural landscape and habitat beyond.

In the process, I built on my earlier pencil sketch and previous oil study of the same subject. I took the opportunity of working on a much larger canvas to play with the paint. I used a wider range of techniques, distinguishing between three different areas of the scene. The foreground uses bolder movements, the middle capitalises on loose paint handling and dribbles, and for the mouth of the river I used my brushes more smoothly.

Overview and Outcome

The vertical angles of the lock gates and high viewpoint enhanced the compositions and gave a "real life" perspective to the views.

I used subtle colours, almost monochrome in the main for both paintings, but in the second, I accentuated the grassy banks in the middle distance for accentuation, to tell the story and add impact.

The paint handling went well and I used different techniques in each painting to achieve the different water effects. The painting of the water was looser and freer, which suited the dynamics of the subject matter.

Feedback from viewers has been good and encouraging. I received a number of comments about the detailed painting of the water and that it was effective.

Research: Michael Andrews (1928 - 1995)

Michael Andrews (1928–1995)

Michael Andrews was a British painter, who Tate Britain describes as being,

“rightly regarded as one of Britain's leading post-war painters ……… Andrews's work was characterised by intensity of observation and exacting technical virtuosity. (Moorhouse and Tufnell, Tate Britain website).

Andrews’ approach is well illustrated by his Thames Series, which led from his fascination with the changing moods of the river. His acute observation is reflected in his use of subdued colour and loose, but focused paint handling.

The Thames at Low Tide (below) was partly painted on the floor, and consists of tides of turps and deposits of sediment on the surface, which represents both a literal and illusionistic representation.

Michael Andrews, The Thames at Low Tide, 1994 

In Andrews’ The Estuary different areas have different degrees of finish, thick treacly threads of textured paint meander across the surface, whilst other areas disclose evidence of drawing and underpainting. The muddy brown banks disappear of into the blues and yellows of the open sea, echoing the movement of mud and water.

Michael Andrews, The Estuary (Mouth of the Thames), 1994

Andrews’ work was not only observational, but as he commented, “I am interested in external appearances for what they reveal of what is internal” (quoted in the Tate Britain website).

Tate Britain goes on to suggest that, ”For Andrews, the river suggested both the course of life and the flow of history” (Tate Britain website). So, Andrews’ work resonates with me, not just for his use of paint and colour, but also for the concepts behind his practice.

I start my paintings by covering the canvas with a grey base coat which I mix from burnt umber, ultramarine deep and titanium white. The grey base not only creates a mid-tone from which to work from, but also provides consistency for the atmospheric look I am seeking, recalling memories and old black and white photographs. I mix the colours I consider most appropriate for the narrative or mood of the work. These are mainly cool soft browns, greens and yellows for the natural features of the Humber region. In my colour choices I have been influenced by Andrews, reflected in the Thames Series, above.

My paint handling and use of subtle colour is illustrated in the detail of Lock Gates, Water Surge, shown below.

Lock Gates, Water Surge (colour detail), oil on canvas

Research: Richard Diebenkorn (1922 - 1993)

Richard Diebenkorn (1922 – 1993)

Diebenkorn used geometric shapes and colour to express the West Coast of the USA. A major exhibition of Diebenkorn’s paintings was held at the Royal Academy in 2015. Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park Series of the late 1960s are considered to be among the most important in recent art history, and have been described by the Boston Globe as “some of the most beautiful works of art created in America or anywhere else since the second World War” (quoted in the Royal Academy website).

The Royal Academy considers that, “A sense of the light and space of the West Coast infuse his paintings, revealing a great sensitivity to the environment in which they were created” (Royal Academy website).

Examples of the light, colour and geometric shapes used by Diebenkorn in his paintings are illustrated below.

Richard Diebenkorn, Seawall, 1957

Richard Diebenkorn Cityscape 1, 1963

I have used some of Diebenkorn’s ideas regarding shapes and abstraction in my own paintings, such as in Canal Study, below.

Canal study, oil on board

My colour palette however, in contrast to that of Diebenkorn, reflects the local landscape and weather patterns of the East Coast of England. I have therefore been more influenced in the use of colour by artists whose palette is more subtle and appropriate to my own ideas and locality. I look at one of those artists in my next post.