The storms are coming think and fast these days. Fierce though they are, they provide a wonderful magnetic attraction, particularly around our coasts, for along with the beasts that they are, they create powerful spectacles in the form of giant waves, massive splashes and magnificent movement.
Thank you so much for viewing my post. If you like stormy sea images, check out this tag on my website:
Atlantic Movement
These are quite large paintings. Oil on canvas, 150 x 100 cms (60 x 40 inches approximately), inspired by the wonderful coastal imagery of the Dingle Peninsula, South West Ireland.
I think that large paintings are difficult to show sympathetically on a website. The larger the painting, the greater the reduction of the image. This has the effect of making the image look much more tightly painted than it is in reality. It’s always worth bearing that in mind when viewing paintings on the internet. These here can be viewed much larger if you click them, and you may still be able to open out the image and see the style of the brush-marks more clearly, and be able to evaluate the freedom of the style or the discipline that is employed.
I have been sitting on these for several months, in a manner of speaking. This is the first time I have shown them on my blog. They are on my website on this page:
I needed to wait for at least 6 months before applying varnish. Many painters are not aware of the need to wait and may apply the varnish too soon. As yet most of these are not varnished, except the one I have sold (Blasket Islands).
The purpose of varnish is to protect the picture, but if it is applied too soon it fuses into the paint below, and cannot in the future be removed if desired. It might never need to be removed in the life of the picture, but it’s best to follow good practice, as the varnish yellows with age.
Some painters think it’s best to not use varnish at all, as it can create problems of its own. Large paintings in particular are difficult to varnish evenly. It’s not strictly necessary to varnish, and many painters use an oiling out technique to bring up the colours and create an even sheen on the picture. I sometimes do this myself. An oil painting, once completely dry will have a washable surface and as long as it is kept in a clean unpolluted environment there should be no real problems. Most people do not now smoke inside their homes, and this has removed the main polluting agent in one’s home.
Steamy Atlantic Spray
Atlantic Splash
Rushing Wave in the Wind
West Coast
Blasket Islands
View of Mainland from Great Blasket Island
I would be delighted to respond to any questions that anyone would have. Please enquire through my website.
For those of you who might be in my area, I have a gallery, showing these large paintings and several smaller paintings. Here is the big paintings room. Directions on Google. I look forward to meeting you.
In my previous post, https://helenebrennan.wordpress.com/2020/01/27/mizoram-2/ I showed several photos of Mizoram, mainly from around the city of Aizawl, the State capital, but this time I would like to show some images captured in the mountains outside Aizawl.
Mizoram, this North Eastern State of India, is a land of forested mountains, lakes, rivers and plains and therefore, as you can imagine it is particularly beautiful and scenic. Travel through this land is not easy, and many of the few existing roads can be narrow and potholed. Regrettably, I didn’t get much chance to explore as much as I would like, but I did manage a couple of days out of the city.
Below are images of Hmuifang, a few hours drive from Aizawl, where heavy rain and fog descended upon us, but eventually we got a short window just before dark when I took the following photos from the roadside on the route back.
Before our return, from Hmuifang we moved on to Sialsuk where the fog was very heavy and the wonderful views that I know are there, were completely hidden. There are very old gravestones there at the site of a disappeared village, and I took several shots of them, being all that could be seen, and although the light and visibility were poor, I thought the misty appearance enhanced the feeling of history and mystery.
Sometimes, if the colour is a bit weak, I find that I may get a better result if I convert the image to black and white, as with this image (above / below).
Another day, another place, just outside Aizawl, viewing the city from a distance.
This cross had a highly reflective surface. The pattern appearing on it was just a reflection.
Thank you for viewing my post. There are several more images from Mizoram on my website.
For something very different, you may like to view photos from my homeplace, the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland:
I also have many paintings to view on my website, please take a look:
If you would like to contact me please do so from my website.
Just a few shots grabbed through the window with a hand held camera and zoomed lens. This fellow disappears fast as soon as he sees any movement inside the window, so I had to be quick.
I’m not the best wildlife photographer, but I couldn’t resist this one.
I love to see pheasants in the garden. This fellow appeared a few times recently, but I haven’t seen him for over a week now; I hope the fox didn’t get him.
Thanks for looking.
A few evening shots while walking on Murioch Beach, Dingle Peninsula:
Occasionally I enjoying creating black and white images. So here are some of them. All images from County Kerry, Ireland.
Above, Béal Bán, Ballyferriter. Below, Murioch Beach.
Wine Strand, above and below.
Feothanach Beach, on a rather stormy day.
Boat wreck, Banna Beach, above and below.
Kerry stone sheds, below.
Béal Bán above and below.
Murioch Beach, above.
Seal, at Great Blasket Island
Béal Bán above.
Enquiries welcome, and can be made via my website.
I hope you have enjoyed my photos. Please check out this tag on my website for more images of Ventry Beach:
And more:
