A couple of paintings past have found new homes! I’ve had these on my studio wall for some time now and have enjoyed them immensely so now they’ve got new walls to adorn and the love is shared!
FLOWN THE COOP!
Tag Cornish Coast
FISHERMAN’S COTTAGE
A composition of the famous fisherman’s hut in Mullion Harbour, Cornwall. Whilst walking on the cliffs here I often see Choughs flying amongst the grass so I’ve decided to add some to the stormy sky. Through out I’ve struggled with the surface of this panel as I’d applied a smooth coat of gesso which surface seems to produce a more graphic look to my brushstrokes. In comparison, I find fine canvas to be a more subtle surface for colour blending and shading, with that said I find the final picture is somewhat appealing to my eye! Acrylic on gesso panel 380 x 380mm.
THE CORNISH COAST
Just a little look back at some of my recent paintings of Cornwall. Above is Mullion Cove a favourite place of my wife and I. Below are paintings of Kynance Cove, Lands End, Morwenstow, Bedruthen Steps and my recent painting of the Logan Rock. There is just something about the light here and many more visits are planned.
FROM THE LOGAN ROCK
Quick half an hour to commit to another painting, acrylic wash on canvas panel 515 x 330mm. The next day I completed it after about an hour of finalising the composition. I visited Treen in Cornwall quite recently to paint and sketch the wonderful rock formations but sadly there was a heavy mist! I will revisit it when the weather is right and will not only sketch the Logan Rock but also Pedn Vounder and Porthcurno Beaches.
STARTING TO PLAY WITH IDEAS!
Well from a long lay off my wife Donna and I have spent a rather enjoyable weekend back in Mullion. We walked parts of the South West Coast Path and visited some of the hidden coves. Hopefully some inspiration will come of this trip. Above a photomontage of the fisherman’s hut at Mullion Cove.
Below are more images paying around with more ideas perhaps for future paintings. Al
KYNANCE COLOURS
The start of 2023. The completed acrylic painting 820 x 400mm above is of Kynance Cove from a sketch made in November 2022. My wife and I were staying in Mullion Cove for my Birthday weekend and made our way here. There were no tourists as the weather was very changeable but once we go down to the beach we were surprised to see that the tearooms were open. We sat on the benches and this is the view we enjoyed for an hour or so with it’s incredible light illuminating the sea.
I’ve tried to keep this painting looser than normal as it was just an exercise in removing the white of the canvas gesso and promoting some sense of light to dark contrasts. From the beginning I reference the original sketch and start to make sense of the correct sky tones and highlights on the sea. I must say there is a certain honesty to my original sketches perhaps my plain air sketch books should be shown.
Now finished I leave it on an easel for a week or so and make final adjustments. As usual the Titanium White appears bolder that it actually is when photographed. Al
BEDRUTHAN STEPS
Bedruthan Steps, mixed media on 40 x 30″ deep edge canvas. I was struck by the white parallel lines of the incoming waves on this day as I sat on top of the cliffs. The name Bedruthan Steps is said to be taken from a mythological giant called Bedruthan, who used the tall rock formations on the beach as stepping stones, and seems to be a late-19th-century invention for Victorian tourists. It is now part owned by the National Trust, the beach is now closed due to cliff instability and fear of visitors becoming cut off by rapid incoming tides.
MULLION COVE
An hour of getting rid of the blank white canvas and laying out the basic tones and colours for this painting. It’s been quite a while, for various reasons, since I daubed paint on canvas so this initial start should commit me to action.
We loved our stay here a few weeks ago and the coastline along this particular part of the Cornish coast is stunning. I sat sketching the sea from ontop a cliff here and watched a sailing ship weight anchor and it’s small boat venture into Mullion Harbour over the crystal clear turquoise water.
The final acrylic painting is 24 x 30″ on canvas please note that the colours are not as the original painting! Al
NEW CANVASES.
A visit to Bristol for the Harbour Festival and to pick up some large canvases in view of trying to break my creative lull. I think Mullion Cove will be next!
LIZARD BREAK.
Sadly my mother Ruth recently died so after a lot of organising of funeral arrangements we decided to keep a previously booked short break to Mullion in Cornwall and take a breath. Luckily for us the weather was wonderful and there were very few tourists around; this was apparently because of our weekend fell between Whitsun and Half Term Holidays, a sort of vacational sweet spot.
Mullion is a beautiful little harbour with stunning views up and down the Cornish coastline a perfect place with which to explore from. During our weekend we visited Kynance Cove with it’s spectacular rock formations, Cadgwith Cove with it’s idyllic thatched roofs and cottages, Gunwalloe Beach with it’s beautiful church in the dunes and the town of Porthleven with it’s interesting harbour and market stalls.
We stayed at the brilliant Mullion Cove Coastal Retreat in a lodge with a jacuzzi! What a great time we had late in the evenings drinking wine and relaxing in the warm bubbly water. I’m sure some of these images will eventually inspire me into creating more paintings. For my wife and I the highlights of the weekend were Cadgwith Cove, where we had a marvellous meal at the Mullion Cove Inn, and of course the stunning Kynance Cove. Al
Al Brown Artist. 