This delightful seascape shows a woman, probably the artist’s friend, relaxing on a sandy beach at Hervey Bay, in Queensland. As there are no houses in the background this possibly is secluded Dundowran Beach, as it appeared decades ago.
To give the painting balance, the artist used the ‘rule of thirds’, and he divided the painting into nine sections. The subject has been placed at a strong point on the canvas, that is, near the intersection of the bottom horizontal line and left vertical line, in the left third of the painting.
This is a ‘true to life’ painting and it has soft energy. The weather is fine, and even light spreads across the canvas. The sand is shimmering. The lapping water is cool and glistening.
The soft, blue and green colours are harmonious. Two primary colours, blue and yellow, have been used for the dark haired lady’s bikini and beach towel. The smooth blending of soft pastel shades is in contrast to the relaxed dabbing, and repeated, small, green-yellow brush strokes in the mid-section. The painting is softly textured and there is some stippling in the foreground. The pink coloured items in the background suggest others are present on the beach also.
Acrylic on Masonite, date unknown. (Cleaned and framed. Substantial changes made to beach during restoration.)
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