Monday 4 August 2014

October Storm Hastings

 Last October I had three hours to myself at Hastings seafront, so I went into the Jerwood Gallery to look around, inspiring as it was being in there it was what was going on out the window that I found exciting.
I stood looking at the storm from the upstairs gallery window for ages and soon decided to leave and make my way to the beach.


I sat for the rest of the three hours on the wet pebbled beach in my raincoat taking photos and watching the waves crash observing the sky change and people walking by. I suppose this is what we artists call research while we may appear to be doing nothing in fact what we are doing is taking it all in.




The sky was wondrous catching the light on the sea silhouetting the figures I don't think I have witnessed a better storm. I observed it and stored it in my head knowing that one day I could recall it to create a painting.

I paint two types of works on the one hand I like to draw out a scene and plan it all as in the last blog about my trams and then my other type of work is free and develops along side using up left over paint building up in layers of ink and texture drawing on memories rather than photographs I like that I have two strings to my bow I do not agonise that all my work should be the same I am not aware of a law that forbids me to change between styles.

 Below is the free version of the Hastings Storm one day I may do a more considered piece matching the colours exactly to the photos but for this piece I did not refer to the photos and what I see in the work below is the feeling of smallness  I felt that day.

 How powerful nature can be those storms raged on for months after that day devastating the coast line all around the UK and it is only now that  Summer is here and all is calm that I could even begin to start recalling the howling winds and sea salt hitting my face. Its taken a long time for this painting to emerge I have thought about it and wondered when this painting would appear and here it is.

October Storm Hastings 40 x 40 cm mixed media on canvas.





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