Billowing Clouds Painting

My inspiration for this pastel painting was the ever-changing seascapes around the Solway Coast in the South West of Scotland. This painting, for me, occupies the elusive Realm between abstraction and realism even though the subject is instantly recognisable and familiar to the eye of the viewer. The painting is one from my portfolio of past paintings. I enjoyed depicting the cloud cover and its effect on mood and light. Here the billowing, sun-kissed clouds encroach on the boldly rendered inky-blue sea just on the far horizon which in turn is softened by the suggestion of gently breaking waves that meet the sandy foreshore. I hope the images emerging from sometimes loose, sometimes controlled markings, excite the viewer in a spontaneous way while the fluffy pale apricot clouds add a feeling of calm. Unison soft pastel was my choice of medium for the subject. The softness of the clouds and foreshore contrast with the bold rendering of the sea.