This week I have said goodbye to a number of artworks. The ink and watercolour wash painting of the old hut at Arm River was collected by happy Jen from Penguin. The prize which I offered to a randomly selected “liker” of my Facebook page http://evantart.wordpress.com was delivered to Barbara from Ulverstone (and I enjoyed a chat and cuppa and looking at her art works…. a couple of which were painted when she attended my workshops). Alana collected the acrylic of Base Camp, Mt Everest to give to her husband for his birthday in memory of their amazing trek. And today I sent three miniatures to their new home in Hobart.
Forest Stream is done in an unusual medium for a miniature work…. oil pastel. If you have worked with oil pastel you may wonder about the choice of this medium for work which is about detail. The reason was the intensity and freshness of the colour especially the lush lime greens and yellows for the sunlit patches. Thickly pressing the colours to the surface and blending in some areas such as the moving water, I laid my base colours. The next step was to scratch into this with various tools…. etching tool, toothpick, blade. This way a layered, almost 3D effect, was achieved and fine details added, even using a pin for some of the finest linear marks. I do love exploring different media but am careful to chose a suitable subject. I think for this forest stream scene oil pastel was perfect.
Mt Oakleigh and Tarkine Coast are both painted with H2Oils on foamcore. I have found this to be a wonderful combination for miniature work as the smooth surface allows fine detail, smoothly blended passages or dry brush scumbling. In these landscapes the challenge is to suggest the vastness of our wilderness areas on a painting surface measuring about 6×6 cm. They are intimate little works which hang well as a group on a wall, or sit comfortably in the hand while you sit in a chair allowing the image to “transport” you to our wilderness grandeur. Mt Oakleigh is in Cradle Mt, Lake St Clair National Park and the Tarkine is a threatened area of Tasmania’s West coast.