The artist connected well with all of the natural elements when he painted this lovely beach scene. His admiration for the sea shows in his seascapes.
In structuring the painting, the artist used the ‘rule of thirds’ to divide the canvas horizontally and vertically into nine sections. This emphasizes the importance of the sandy beach and the sparkling sea in the mid-section. He placed the principal subject, the dark haired lady, in the horizontal mid-section and she and her friend are just to the right of the main point of focus. Is the dark haired lady the same subject who appeared in the Hervey BaySeries in Anything Ocean?
The foot-printed track in the foreground attracts the viewer’s attention, and leads the eye to the shallow water where picnickers are relaxing on the beach, under an orange coloured umbrella. The orange colour complements the blue colours of the sea, and makes the painting more interesting.
There is good atmospheric perspective (visual depth) in this painting, as the colours used for the foreground grass are brighter than the soft tones of the sky.
Cool green and blue colours are harmonious. They stimulate the senses into feeling the coolness of the sea water and hearing the sounds of breaking waves.
The artist used a small brush tip to add variegated, ‘stippled’ colours for grass, flowers and the tree’s foliage.
The mood is relaxed. This is a typical scene at a sandy, Australian beach on a sunny day in the warmer months of the year.
Acrylic on Masonite, date unknown. (Cleaned and framed. Slight alteration during restoration.)
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