Good morning everyone. A day at the seaside – I love this intuitive abstract that I made when I was thinking about a day out. Well, to be precise, I was only dreaming about going to the coast. And that’s because we haven’t been able to go for over a year now. Partly due to Covid restrictions and also for practical reasons – I chose to stay home and keep safe. Anyway, I can always dream!
A Day at the Seaside – an Abstract Acrylic
However, I must insist that this composition must have come from my subconscious. As I have mentioned before, I do a first quick impulsive pass and create a full design, covering all the paper. Then I might leave it until next day, look at it and think about it a lot! After that, I’ll work on it from all angles and enjoy myself, creating texture. For the next session, I’ll choose which is top, and which is bottom and have a look at the balance of shapes and colours. And that’s when I get nice surprises!
The Unexpected Features
Actually, this picture almost painted itself and it was the first of my summery abstracts. Before this, most of my intuitive abstracts were in a different palette of colours. For example, here is one I did at the end of winter, with dramatic, sombre colours. In contrast, my seaside picture is in warm, mellow colours, with hints of cloudless sky and fresh vegetation. And, of course, the almost tactile yellow ochre indicating sand.
Finally, I made this collage a couple of years ago, partly as a tribute to the wonderful Mark Hearld. So, my imaginary scene of a day out at the seaside was made up of painted collage papers, cut-outs and watercolour. And then rounded off with a pretty, decorative border in muted colours. Ah, it’s almost as good as being there in person (almost!)
You could look at more scenes of the fab Yorkshire coast in my Gallery – Landscapes here. It’s affordable art, folks! Contact me for details here.
I love this painting. I visited the New Jersey shore in April, about 70 miles away. Very spirit lifting though chilly, but I still waded. This picture reminds me of the coming summer.
Thank you, Claudia. Just right! I was thinking of the summer weather when I painted this. I think paddling in the sea does me good – even when it’s cold.
I grew up far away from the ocean so it was a very big treat ( given that we had to spend two days driving there). Now I am close enough for a day trip but life has intervened in letting me make the trip very often. I am not letting that happen so much anymore and your painting made me think of happy warm summer days. Although I really enjoyed wading in the freezing cold water last month, too. Just something about a beach and the water…
Love the movement in this painting.
Thank you, Vivienne. That’s what I like about it too – the movement.
What a special joy this is! It makes me think of a treasure map, with the ocean and beach as the treasure. Marvelous colors!!
Thank you so much, Robin! What a lovely interpretation. After I’d painted it I realised it looked as though it was done from above, as you say, a bit like a map.
What a fun wonderful creative process, Margaret! And ain’t it funny how sometimes up turns out to be one of the sides or bottom, lol! I’ve had one here and there that, after I signed it, I wished I’d chosen a different “up” 😊
Felipe, I never used to believe it when I read that abstract artists turn the painting around. And, now I do it myself!