Painting the Sea Plein air

What is my fascination in painting the sea outside? As much as anything it is about being there and experiencing the elemental aspects of the ocean.Studying the colours and the effects of movement and changing light  on the waves and waters surface. Painting these moments and using the brush or palette knife in a manner energised by the movement all around is  very special and there is no experience in the studio which is comparable.

When the work is going well and the painting seems to have an essence of what is before me I make a connection with the sea, these feelings are created by what has happened in the making of the painting and then underscored if the final image has a semblance of the feelings I have experienced and seen..

There is always an element of challenge painting out of doors. Today there was a strong North Westerly wind blowing, which brought a sparkling light and surging sea, very inspirational but hard to keep the painting materials and canvas.in place.. I overcame these problems, but affer several hours of painting on a couple of 40cm x 40cm canvas’s driving rain arrived which ruined one of the pictures and the other’s image is on this blog.

There is very little I experience in my life that is so absorbing as painting outside, if the work it is going well, time has little meaning and my mind and body feel as one.