Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Bridge, Westport House



The Bridge, Westort House - oil/panel - 7"x5"

During some recent reading on various artists I admire I found that the use of small panels has been in use on and off throughout of the history of painting. More recently artists like Sir John Lavery, (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) an Irish painter best known for his portraits used panels much like the panels I use for my 'sketches in oil'.
Lavery's small oil studies on panel, finished paintings as they are, helped him work out compositions for larger pieces.

The idea that I too walk out into the landscape with my bunch of small boards is a quite romantic notion for me. But above this notion that we endeavored to capture special and very personal moments it proves that to catch these fleeting effects of light and to help in tuning application and concepts - the sketch in oil is an amazing way to improve and discipline yourself to 'see' more clearly.

- Richard

No comments: