Pastel on Pastelmat, 9.5 x 19 inches SOLD
Beer, where my upcoming exhibition is at the Marine House Gallery in May, is a thriving fishing village on the South Devon coast, and to get this scene, soon after daybreak, necessitated me getting to the beach for 6.30am. Kim Aplin, the well known local figure who takes folks out Mackerel fishing is busy getting ready for the day ahead, carrying fuel back from his boat. This particular day in late October offered up a glorious dawn, with the sun breaking through the cloud to give a beautiful golden glow to the sea and all the fishing boat paraphernalia on the shingle beach.
I chose a wide panoramic shape, using an offcut from a previous large painting, which seemed perfect for the composition I wanted. I eliminated most of the sky above the cloud line, which seemed a distraction from the figures around the boats and the sunlit sea. I moved the sun to the right a little just for balance and spent a fair bit of time trying to get a decent likeness of Kim, as he is so well known! I included him in a large Pastel a couple of years ago, but that was mostly of his backside, bending over sorting out a rope tangle, though it was recognisably him, so, I hope I've done his front-side justice this time!
Pete - I welcome the positioning of a figure as central to a composition .... you normally add as "dressing" to your landscapes.
ReplyDeleteAs ever with people pics - it's a case of whether it will sell I suppose?
K
Thanks great mate. Beer paintings usually go well there, and I think it's got a good 'feel' to it that most folks aren't up in time to witness, so we shall see.
DeleteReally nice atmosphere to this Peter. I love the South Devon area, and have spent many happy Sundays there when my son was a youngster, Beer was one of the villages we visited on occasions. Don't get down there too often now.
ReplyDeleteDo you spend much time there?
Thanks Bev. You'd better get yourself down there on the 5th May for my show - be good to meet! I go periodically when I'm delivering paintings - lovely feel to the place.
DeleteInteresting composition - a sense of bustle and things to be done, you are just as good at figures as you are at everything else! (At the risk of sounding too sycophantic!). I'm sure someone will buy this because you couldn't get tired of looking at it.
ReplyDeleteFay
Thanks Fay - sycophant away girl! Much appreciated.
DeleteWhat a nice end to a night out with the girls i used to work with, to log on and find another superb painting. Am still amazed that it's a pastel so well done, and interesting too. Ve
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Ve, but the night is yet young - you'll have ANOTHER one to look at now!
ReplyDelete