Salcombe Art Club Exhibition preview: Blackstone
Blackstone – the featured painting above – is another of five I plan to submit for consideration of the Hanging Committee of Salcombe Art Club, hoping they will be accepted for the 2017 Salcombe Art Club Exhibition which opens on Thursday 13 April.
On this blog, I’ll post a preview of each of the five paintings, over the next few weeks. If you decide you want to purchase one of them, be quick. The prices go up in April!
What inspired me to paint Blackstone?
Imagine: Dad has rigged the Mirror (or whatever small craft he has towed down to Salcombe). You can see it, set against the backdrop of cliffs, in wind and tide, navigating safely past a beastly reef we call Blackstone.
What were the challenges?
The challenge here, for me as an artist, rather than me as a sailor, was to capture the sheer scale of the sea on the horizon, and the cliffs, with the brave dinghy in the foreground. I wanted to create the atmosphere of adventure since the daunting rocks spell danger for any small craft exploring the estuary. But also, I wanted to spell out the delight as the sails fill.
Capturing all this in one painting is a challenge in itself.
Add to this the fact that acrylic tones tend to darken as they dry. However, this proved fortuitous for me – it served to emphasize the solid damp cliffs.
I enjoyed the challenge of the composition so much, I produced a second Blackstone painting: Racing Past Blackstone. This one is a watercolour.
Affordable Art
Both Blackstone images are available as a fine art greetings card. The range is now 59 strong, and on sale at Malborough Post Office.
Just think: for less than 1% of the sales price of an original painting, you can invest in a fine art greetings card. Send it to a friend or frame it for yourself. Whistlefish sell frames that fit … about £10 each.
I support the Hope Cove Lifeboat. Year after year, Anne and I have a stall, selling my fine art greetings cards, at the Fund Raising Day in August at the Cottage Hotel. It’s a great event, attracting locals and visitors and much money is raised for this worthy cause.
It’s that time of year – firming up the 2017 exhibition schedule.
As a member of Salcombe Art Club, I’ve exhibited in the club’s Summer Exhibition for many years now.
Salcombe Art Club invite members, including associate members, to take one or two weeks in the Little Studio, to display as many of their paintings as they can hang in the space.