William Trost Richards

Cliffs of Cornwall
Source: Questroyal Fine Art





detail

The Quality of Mystery

Oswald Achenbach, Fishermen

The two light sources in this 19th century work are the moon and a torch held by one of the fishermen. The warm light of the torch helps bring the foreground of the scene forward, while the cool, silver lunar light, filtered through the smoke of a smouldering volcano (Vesuvius perhaps), makes the background recede. 

The artist has chosen to conceal both these light sources, imbuing the painting with an engaging sense of mystery; a quality that seems to have been aimed for in the 19th century but is often neglected in these days of sound bites and instant information.

The equilibrium of a square format helps create a mood of tranquility.

Achenbach (2 February 1827 – 1 February 1905) was a German landscape painter. Born in Düsseldorf, he received his art education from his brother, Andreas Achenbach. His landscapes generally dwell on the rich and glowing effects of color which drew him to the Bay of Naples and the neighborhood of Rome.

Diane Mannion

Gulfscape #1, 6 x 6 inches.

This delightful wave study is by the Florida-based artist Diane Mannion.
Read her notes on painting the Gulf of Mexico, on her blog

Joyce Pekala

The strength of this image lies in it's simplicity, the unusual viewpoint and the strong contrast between the cool blue shadow and the warm beach.

Reflections

These are watercolors, not oils, and wonderful ones at that, by the American master watercolorist, Steve Hanks.

Reflections are an important means of evoking the water element and the marine environment.

“The ocean made a strong and lasting impression on me. It was good for the soul to be out in the water—surfing, swimming, or simply getting in touch with its mysterious power.”

-From Steve's website

Painting from Field Sketches

Vardøhus festning, ca 1870

Norwegian painter, Peder Balke (November 4, 1804 – 1887), hiked around his native Norway, sketching the landscape; later using the sketches as the basis for studio oil paintings, in a romantic style.

This was the way landscape painters worked at that time. In any case, the inclemency of the Scandinavian climate would not have lent itself to completing works on site for most of the year.

Plein air painting is more the norm these days, but there are some  advantages to developing paintings from field sketches: the finished work  tends to be less literal and more 'essential'. The artist has to rely more on memory, which may infuse the painting with greater emotional depth. We tend to remember the essence of a place, rather than details. Also, it's difficult to complete large canvases on site. 

Kelly McConnell Cox

Courage, 60 x 60 inches

Power, 30 x 30 inches


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