Wherever Whenever

Although this could be a painting of a dune covered beach almost anywhere in the world, for me it is Druridge Bay in Northumberland. I sometimes travel there in winter and early spring to draw and paint all day. Sometimes at the end of the day as the wind turns offshore and the light levels drop the colour effects can be more interesting especially if the sun is obscured by cloud. Here a blanket of cloud has spread across the North Sea eastward off the land pushing the sunnier weather of the day to the horizon. The tide is nearly high but the offshore wind has calmed the sea surface down even though waves still break on the beach behind the now gently swaying marram grasses. The sand is the most elusive colour to capture, both cool and warm but now darker than the sea and closer in hue and shade to the clouds. The observation and recollection of colour is an endlessly fascinating puzzle for me and critical for setting the mood of a painting. As a result I can find myself changing the colours many times over in making a studio picture like this one, a very different experience and result from direct a-la-prima painting outdoors.

$1060

About the artist

Lionel Playford

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I am a painter of northern landscapes and of the sea. I'm an established artist in the north of England but I'm also known more widely with for example my TV participation in the SKY Portrait Artist of the Year competition.