The Art of the Landscape: British Council - Landscape Art Collection

The Art of the Landscape: British Council - Landscape Art Collection

Acharachle with Blue Skies

Oil on board   28 x 24"  

Bridget Hunter  2010

This may be the last painting from my week in Ardnamurchan - Acharachle being the name of the furthermost part of the peninsula. I have other sketches and ideas but I'd like to do some more small still life work just now - bit like sketching in paint and practising looking closely. I enjoyed painting this, at least applying the paint, which meant it took on its own life as it progressed and ended up a recollection of  remembered colours. But I think that's my problem  - the application of paint is like a kind of dance and it can become almost heady - and its nothing to do with the turpentine vapours. But then so many end up disasters and in the bin. Am I alone in feeling like this I wonder?

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Dark sea at Sana

Oil on board  24 x 20                  
Bridget Hunter  2010

The vagaries of a Scottish May! It was either sharp showers or patches of strong sunshine all day. I started blocking in the main shapes and colours in Acrylic but despite hiding under a plastic sheet the rain made the paint run. The plastic sheet caused the shore sheep alarm too. But got some more work done later in the day though I had to finish it at home, again using oils which I much prefer. The sky and sea were very dark which made the sands even whiter. It was such a painterly subject - the colours and the contrasts. Sana is a tiny village across the bay from our holiday cottage - no cars are allowed into the village itself. It's a mixture of a few new homes and one or two old crofts. One day I hope to go back.

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Blue sea at Portuairk

Oil on board  24 x 20
Bridget Hunter 2010

This work was blocked in at the location in acrylic then finished at home using oils. There's just something about the buttery consistency of oils, the way it can be manipulated that I find I don't experience with faster drying acrylics. However, that may change when I try the acrylic retarder gel - which I'm still trying to source. I hope I haven't lost anything by completing it later but admit I may have intensified the 'blues'. Its my memories of the place though - how I saw it - turquoise and creams.

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Rosie's Choice

Oil on board  10 x 12
Bridget Hunter 2009

" It takes two to paint. One to paint, the other to stand by with an axe to kill him before he spoils it."     William Merrit Chase

I've been working on paintings from recent holiday as I need 20 paintings for two exhibitions in August. But when the pressure's on nothing seems to work out. And then I labour too much and end up scraping more paint off than I put on. I'm almost scared to look at paintings the next day knowing I'll be disappointed and it'll be all start again! The quote above seems to fit my situation perfectly!!!

So posting this small work from a wee while ago. Rosie insisted on having red boots and I couldn't resist painting the colour.