Ides of March

The 15th of March is going to be a special day this year. All will be revealed !

 It's usualy windy in March and the start of this month has been no exception. This morning the sun was shining but standing up straight on the cliff was hard. I took my camera out with me this morning to get a few shots of the cliffs and sea. Inspiration for some new paintings. I like to take some pretty wide angled shots, this tends to give a more abstract feel, not too much detail. It's all about colour, light and shade and strong lines. My seascapes usually end up fairly abstract and I thought I would share how I go about it.

So, first take some photos, they don't have to be technical or perfect in any way. Just go for some strong lines or colours that are pleasing. Something that intuitively feels good.

 I particularly like the cliff dropping straight into the sea.

The colours today were beautiful.

 Then roughly cut a template from some paper, in order to mask the majority of the photo. Through this 'window' you can select your favourite portion of the photo to use.

 Use a black marker and draw in the shape.

 .... and hey presto you have a few new painting ideas to work with !