Thursday 12 June 2008

On the Wansbeck



On the Wansbeck (Oil on board)

Later, at the Club, I finished this, which I'd resumed last week.

In 2002, I spent a day with some Art Club friends, drawing at a boat club on the River Wansbeck. There's a formal rowing club on the Wansbeck, but the area we were in was a run-down strip of foreshore, not far from the mouth of the river at Sandy Bay, with little tarred shacks and rotting hulls. Very picturesque. My painting, Wooden Sunset, was based on one of the upturned boats there.

Amongst other things, I drew this group of boats and a couple of the shacks, and when I got home I made a start on a painting based on the drawing. As is often the case, other priorities intervened and the picture got put to one side, only to be unearthed last week when I was looking for a small board to start another painting on. The muse took me, and the boats were up and running again (if that isn't a mixed metaphor).



Wansbeck Boats (Charcoal, colored Conte, sketchbook)

6 comments:

Chris Bellinger said...

Do like your style of painting and the way you paint pus your commentry, came across your interesting blog whilst loooking at the cycling artist one of my regulars!.

harry bell said...

Thanks, Chris, and welcome to Boogie Street. Hope you can call again, but in any case, good luck with the BA studies!

Casey Klahn said...

Very wonderful work, here, Harry. The contrasting shapes - laid out perfectly - and the primaries, too.

One of those artworks an artist wishes he had done. You rock.

harry bell said...

I never thought anyone would say to me, "You rock." Thanks, Casey.

ian gordon said...

I really like the new look of your blog (Been meaning to say). And nice to have a real name on things.

Not wanting to upset anyone else who passes through here, but there's an honesty and a sense of continuity about your work I really admire.

I myself, this year, have slipped too far into the trap of thinking what others might like, or Etsy shops, etc. Much to my detriment.

harry bell said...

I appreciate the compliment, Ian. I sometimes find myself drifting into a sales-dominated mode of thinking, but with only one real exception (when I produced work I now find very bland and will probably paint over) I've continued to follow my own muse.