Another watercolour and mixed media exploration of the land and sea around the Cill Rialaig retreat village. Looking towards the headlands. The sea a beautiful colour. The land still full of rusts and gold.
I worked on A2 Seawhite of Brighton heavyweight cartridge paper, with very wet washes, oil pastels and Unison soft pastels. I'm interested in the textures in the land, all these brambles and high grasses. Also the shape of the headlands. And of course the constant movement and sound of the Atlantic Ocean as it hits the cliffs.
At this stage of the process, I don't know what I want to express yet. The act of painting will lead to something. I trust in the process, knowing that it will bring me where I need to be. I was really inspired by Sally-Ann Ashley's comments on her Substack today, about finding more studio time (https://substack.com/@sallyanneashleyart). For years, I've had this notion about needing two hours to paint, generally after having done everything else I needed to do. The idea that I could paint for half an hour in the morning, before doing anything else, was such a revelation! I must join her Arthouse group later this summer when I have more time at home. I did her Creative Shift course a couple of years ago (or was it last year?) and it really helped me in my practise. I tend to resist those online group things, as I don't have much patience for listening to everyone else's art journey, but I think this one might be worth a try.
