It’s a week since I started these, but things have been busy and I’ve had a tummy bug so there was just an hour or so to begin the second of the Cockenzie paintings, this one with boats lining the horizon and the strange east coast overcast tones. Hopefully I’ll find time to finish these before the deadline next week, but starting a new part-time job makes it tricky. I haven’t missed a deadline since my carefree student days, but that can change, ah well!
Starting to experiment with the Cockenzie paintings, marking into wet gesso/marble dust. I’m going to wait for this to dry and scratch into dry paint then scrape back some of the edges. I’m really enjoying the subtle greys and minimal work, so I’m going to keep these very simple.
I’m also working on a River Tweed painting for my mum’s upcoming birthday. Again scratching into paint, this time green/black to white below, though at this stage I’m just marking it out. The figures, which are a bit vague at the moment, are my niece and her friends swimming; this was just after they’d all finished their exams and were in relaxed celebratory mood! This painting will take a lot more work – lots of detail and layers of varnish to get the lovely deep reflections on water…
I’m just laying down the base colour on these 17×11 inch wood panels for two new paintings I’m creating, inspired by the moody seascapes and atmosphere of the east coast. I watched Cockenzie Power station being demolished last weekend and I wanted to express ideas of change and impermanency.
The dark background is because I’ll be layering over subtle mid-grey tones mixed with gesso and marble dust, then scratching through the top layer to create forms and lines. At least, that’s the plan! Things always change in process.
These should be finished by the end of next week, then I’ll be submitting them for the RSA in Edinburgh
Rose Strang Artworks 