River Wandle pt.2

Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inch

This work is a continuation of ‘River Wandle’ from the last unit. I wanted to test the same colour palette with different techniques and further abstract the way water flows through the river. The paint was applied a lot thicker and not thinned out with linseed oil this time, creating areas where I could scratch through with my fingers. This revealed the pink underpainting in the centre of the piece, creating a dynamic focal point that is sharp and stands out. I smudged and etched different areas of the piece to loosely imitate ripples, as the wind and rain on this particular day made the water quite choppy and unpredictable. This lent itself to my jagged brushstrokes I tend to implement in my work, giving it a sense of liveliness and vigour. I find this piece to be greatly successful and am excited to keep painting the river on different occasions, capturing the complexities and nuances of nature and how everchanging it can be.