The Coast at Christmas

C1537

“Looking North from Face Rock Overlook”

(Bandon, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Telati Pintura Oil Primed Linen Panel

6” x 8”

Click here to make this your Own

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 27^th.  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 19^th 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. 

Passing Cold Front & Surf

C1540

“Passing Cold Front & Surf”

(Devil’s Kitchen, Bandon, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Ampersand Gesso Panel

5” x 7”

SOLD

The day after painting Table Rock at Bandon, I chose to paint further south at Devil’s Kitchen and past Bandon’s islands and sea stacks, where there are only a few rocks along the beach.  The cold front was finally pushing through and all morning, there was cloud overhead and clear skies out at sea along the horizon, with every so often a glimpse of sun poking through the odd break.  The surf was coming in nicely in sets, with a bigger set every so often.  I set up back in the dune grass and a bit out of the wind.  The rock being struck by the surf was not particularly large, perhaps 8 or 9 feet high, but every so often a wave would hit it just right to send up a good splash.  Since the horizon marks the eye level of the viewer, in this case myself, and I am up in the grass above the beach, the top of the crashing foam has broken the horizon line, and thus my eye level, and so is reaching about 25 or 30 feet or so; the wave crest itself, perhaps 9’. 

The next day, 4^th January 2014, I left Bandon and headed north.  Those paintings may eventually appear, but with tomorrows post I shall return to the trip back from Oklahoma last Autumn, and my night at about 11,500’.

There was no imprimatura under this painting, and the pigments used were as follows: Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Venetian Red, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue & Titanium White; all from Winsor & Newton.  A mixture of Cerulean & Burnt Sienna made the nice grey-green of the Sea.  

Table Rock at Bandon, Oregon Coast

C1539

“High Tide at Table Rock”

(Bandon, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Centurion Oil Primed Linen Panel

5” x 7”

Click here to make this your Own

From last October in the Colorado Rockies we are going to fast forward a bit to the 2^nd of January 2014, to Bandon on the south-central coast of Oregon.  I had arrived on the Oregon Coast at the beginning of November for an Exhibition of Small Oils in Bandon, and spent the whole month painting seascapes.  I returned to my base in Yamhill County for 3 weeks in December, and returned to the Coast for two weeks over the Christmas period, camping in the National Forest, and painting.  This painting of is representative of these seascapes.  More will appear as time goes on as many are in several Galleries at present.  The Oregon Coast reminds me of the North Coast of Cornwall, England, except it has forests on the cliff-tops and Cornwall does not, and Bandon reminds me of several Cornish seaside towns.  The beach here at Bandon is riddled with islands and sea-stack, and so provides many varied and interesting views to paint.  I’ve been taking full advantage of this and will continue to do so over time. 

I first laid down a transparent imprimatura of Burnt Sienna to provide a medium tone to work on when I began the painting.

The pigments used were: Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red, Cobalt Blue & Titanium White.  As you see I limited my palette to three colours and white, two being earth colours and thus a more harmonious colour scheme.  I had been painting most of November with this small palette and was happy with the variety of greens I was still able to get with just Cobalt Blue and Yellow Ochre.