Pa Beach Christmas Sail

14" by 11" oil on canvas panel

17 members like this

View Full Size

Tags:
Albums: Workshop 4

Add a Comment

Comment by Kathy Wilson on December 21, 2011 at 8:17: The colors, shadows, and movement of the waves lapping on the beach are beautiful. As soon as I saw this I felt like wading.

Comment by Barbara Sawyer on December 19, 2011 at 17:29: Stu I like your sail boat I would like to be out there onit right now Good water see you captured the shallow water and that action like JV taught

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on December 19, 2011 at 13:35: Karlo, thank you for your comments; my rocks are cloned and kind of look like stacked potatoes--sharper edges and more color variegation would have helped. I really didn't want the boat to dominate (and of course it could be a toy boat), so I kept the size down. I will take a look at Paolo's colors. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Stu

Comment by Karlo Bonacic on December 19, 2011 at 9:52: Nice painting ! Beautiful sea with transparency and reflections. Not sure about boat - maybe could be bigger. Nice perspective with fading colors in distance (one thought pass: how it would look with even more fading - with distance). The left rocks looks to me like something missing - maybe to equally shapes and edges..Also the foreground shadow i would try more variation in colors (as for the reflected light blue - violet) - great example is Paolo Puggioni's last color fotos. Excuse me - it is obviously easier to comment, then to do the painting - i hope to make it this days..Hope it is useful either must say that painting is nice as it is.

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on December 19, 2011 at 3:45: Deodanda, I do have Margaret Kessler's book. I am a bit of an art book junkie. Lately I have been doing online courses like this and www.improvemypaintings.com with Johannes Vloothuis from Canada. If you are unfamiliar with his teaching style, you might take a look at his site and an upcoming free online class on painting skies. I am a very visual learner and have found that I learn better from visual material than from books. Several other artists on this site have taken classes from Johannes--Vida Evenson, Helen Persson, Barbara Sawyer and Xiao Li--they seem enthusiastic about his courses. Also, Richard's DVDs are quite good. Libby is pretty fabulous in person; she is incredibly passionate about painting. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and keep up the painting. Stu

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on December 18, 2011 at 15:37: Thanks, Ann. The painting is really all about the water. I tried to show the movement in the shore break and added the boat to emphasize movement back toward the distant shore. The touch of red in the foresail was to balance out the red flowers on the pohutokawa tree (I got that idea from the other NZ artists -- Annie Helmsley and Hazel Persson); they call it the New Zealand Christmas tree. After the 4th New Zealand landscape, I feel like I have had a tour of New Zealand (I've never been there, but now, I would love to go). Stu

Comment by Ann Turner on December 18, 2011 at 11:38: I think that your water is outstanding ! The movement and touch of shadow on the water all adds to the beauty. I also enjoy your happy little boat that brings a touch of red .

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on December 18, 2011 at 8:08: Deodanda, thank you for the compliment. As I looked through your work, I particularly liked your "After the Veld Fire" piece and noticed two artists that have inspired you that have assisted me in improving my paintings. I have several of Helen Van Wyk's books and recorded many of her videos several years ago and learned a lot from these. My very first outdoor painting workshop was with Libby Tolley and I definitely would recommend her book to you (I suspect you already have it); she is a fabulous teacher and truly inspirational to many artists who have studied with her; her trees and skies are just terrific. Keep up the good work! Stu

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on December 17, 2011 at 7:31: I made a few minor brushstroke corrections and rephotographed this in better light than yesterday after comments by several members.