I started this oil painting in Feb 2020, and finished it in April the same year. I guess it's a tribute to Welsh beaches in winter - miles of sand, and barely anyone around.
A 4x6" colour sketch of Amroth Beach, Pembrokeshire in preparation for a much larger piece. The light that day was gorgeous, but the level of detail in the distance really could do with a larger canvas to make the most of it.
Cefan Sidan is an immense sandy beach in Carmarthenshire. The site of several shipwrecks, with some to still be found in the sands, the beach stretches for miles. This view is in winter looking towards the Gower.
I don't mess with oceans. One time, I just wanted to cool off on the edge. The undertow was so strong that I got trapped, knee-deep from the shore. Nothing I could do but just wait for the giant wave to pile-drive me into the beach. So much sand crack.
Starring The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations (1967). Featuring Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979). Let me tell you a story about a tragic genius ahead of his time. About a songwriter who wrote his songs on a piano situated in a sand box. About a musician combining a variety of tapes to create this carefree beach sound. About a man who was afraid of the audience and who broke down under the pressure. Tricolor linoprint using one lino plate. June, 2020.
It was the first time I tried using a Fabriano 200 gsm cold pressed watercolor paper. And I had learned different techniques in watercolors through the process of creating this painting. It was also fun painting the waves. Thank you, Maria Raczynska.
