Painting the Landscape

The Beacon is just five minutes from the studio and is an ideal starting point for artists to hone their landscape painting skills as well as for beginners seeking inspiration and material. On a teacher training day two friends came along as guinea pigs to test the course. It was wet and foggy. The view from the top is spectacular but there was nothing but rolling mist, windswept trees and mud. From an artists point of view this type of day can inspire a moody painting so we set about sketching with the mind willing and very little to inspire us.

We were all dressed in waterproofs and although the paper became extremely soggy we managed to produce some interesting work. A quick dash back to a warm studio and we were soon in the 'zone'. Touching up, splashing, spraying, playing. We added colour and simply loosened everything up for the afternoon session on canvas so that we were ready and prepared to create a masterpiece. when I explained that we often don't translate the details of the sketches directly onto canvas, one pal wailed: "So what's the point of sketches?"  

Within two hours the point was obvious. Our eye was honed, our interest piqued and we were all painting, creating and adjusting in the way that is only possible with oils. We wiped off, we added, we deleted entirely leaving only the acrylic underpaint but eventually something magical happened and we now need to arrange another trial day to titivate our creations and move onto the high seas.   

​Back in the 1980's the renowned artist John Miller lived at Sancreed House. His rendition of the Beacon : February Rain (1989) shows just how alluring this iconic spot can be. Such a simple compostion with wonderful tone and colour. Something we can all aspire to.