C1537
“Looking North
from Face Rock Overlook”
(Bandon,
Oregon Coast)
Oil Sketch on Telati Pintura Oil Primed Linen Panel
6” x 8”
As I said in a previous
post (here), I returned to the Oregon Coast on Christmas Eve, and made my way
down to Bandon by the 27th.
Just before the end of the year I managed to finish this sketch of part
of Bandon Beach from the cliffs at the Face Rock overlook (I will deal with
Face Rock in a future post). This gives
you a bit of an idea of the coast here at Bandon; islands and sea stacks,
reminiscent of Bedruthan Steps, North Cornwall near where I lived for many
years. Bedruthan was wilder in feel
since it was miles from any town, and it was more personal in a way since most
of the sea stacks were closer in to the shore, but there are corners of Bandon
Beach where this is true also. An aside
here … Bedruthan Steps was named for a giant who in fleeing from the Devil ran
across the sea stacks to his escape; the Devil seems to have certain real
estate connected with him in Cornwall as well as numerous acreages here in
Oregon, although Oregon seems to have the edge for some reason (see here).
The island just to the
left of center, against which the wave is crashing, is called Elephant Rock (or
maybe it’s Island). There is just a hint
of why this is so called in my sketch, and there seems to be a frieze of
elephants within the island seen from various vantage points; once seen … not
forgotten. Table Rock (here) is the one
on the far right in the distance; at the time of this writing it is covered in
nesting Cormorants, along with many of the others, which I just noticed the
other day.
For you sharp-eyed
observers … yes, that is gorse on the sloping cliff in the foreground. It was brought over in the 19th c.
from Ireland by a homesick Bandon resident; it has also been responsible for
the burning down of Bandon on at least one occasion in the town’s history. Having lived in Cornwall, and visited
Scotland several times, I have a soft spot for the gorse, although it is not highly
regarded by many hereabouts; but in the Springtime when it is in full bloom it
is magnificent, and with no sheep and goats keeping it in down this Gorse is
some of the finest I’ve ever seen. Tell
me, for those of whom it is familiar … does it smell like peaches or coconut to
you?
And
not forgetting the tech-heads, the imprimatura
is Venetian Red, and the pigments used were the triad of Yellow Ochre, Venetian
Red and Cobalt Blue plus Titanium White (all W&N); a restricted palette,
but a useful one I’m finding.
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