Passing Cold Front & Surf

C1540

“Passing Cold Front & Surf”

(Devil’s Kitchen, Bandon, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Ampersand Gesso Panel

5” x 7”

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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”

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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.