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| Watercolor in Moleskine |
I had some great chances to sketch
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| Watercolor in Moleskine |
while we were at the Oregon coast last week. The first couple of days were pretty chilly so I took advantage of the view from our motel room to try to capture the look of the waves crashing on the rocks. The motel sits on a cliff so the view was pretty spectacular!
After a couple of days, the sun came out so I sat on the beach at Fogarty Creek State Park to make another attempt at waves breaking on rocks from a different vantage point. They were splashing up really high in the little cove around the bend. I am glad I wasn’t sitting on that side! There were many other scenes that I wanted to try but they will have to wait for another visit. I can see why so many artists chose to live at the coast–it’s very inspiring!
I relied heavily on The Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook: Landscapes by Gordon MacKenzie for ideas on how to handle the waves and the spray. My favorite tip was to use masking fluid on a small piece of sponge to save the white for the sea foam. I didn’t have any masking fluid with me on the beach so I just left that area blank until later and finished the sketch using a photo I took for reference.
This blog is about my journey as a botanical artist--what I am learning, what inspires me and what I am currently drawing or painting. My desire is to continually hone my skills to better express my wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the creation around me in the Pacific Northwest (USA).
Beautiful, Janene, and Fogarty Creek is one of our most favorite beaches! 🙂
I think these sketches are great! I especially like the Fogarty one with the cliffs and greenery.
The sketch with the waves and foam is wonderful, you use watercolours with great mastery! I generally like the tender colours of your works.
That sketch of the waves and foam is fantastic – love the drama of the perspective with the tiny people next to the ocean and the foam is just great – what a good tip!
I’m really impressed with these J. I think the Symposium has had a wonderful effect on your work along with “Watercolorists Essential Notebook.”
Thank you Linda, Lucia, Sarah and Carrie! I appreciate your comments and encouragement. Carrie, You are right, the symposium has had an effect on my work. I can’t quite put my finger on how, but it somehow cleared some fog away. 🙂
Absolutely beautiful watercolors! It looks like a wonderful place to be and sketch.
So very tender watercolors. And thank you for the info about the book.
Wow! The rocks and cliff are so dramatic.
Your treatment of the waves is really good. I love these seascapes. I also loved your picture of the industrial area. Its nice to get a feel for where people live and sketch!
Ooooh.. they are gorgeous! I love the splashes of water and the rocks. I could totally see those pictures clearly in my head.
i would love to look out at that view. your foam is amazing!
These are both great! And I love that you included the people in the first one to give it scale. When I first saw it, I thought that was a close up of some rocks. What an amazing view!
Thanks folks! It was a beautiful place to visit. I am really getting into painting sea foam–it is very fun! I’ll have to go back to the beach soon though because there is not much sea foam to sketch here! 😉
Both beautiful Janene, I particularly love the waves being a keen sea swimmer(did you go in the cold sea?)
Debra, Thanks! I didn’t go into the ocean at all since I am not a good swimmer (and am a wimp;-). The water is very cold, plus there is a strong undertow on many of the beaches in Oregon, so only the very hardy venture in!
Wow! Your water is perfect. The long view in the top piece is breatht-taking. I’m glad I found your blog.
How lucky you are to spend time in such beautiful places. Thanks for sharing them.
Hi Janene!
Your coast views are wonderful! I was wondering how you captured the seafoam–just lovely.
We are going to Manzanita for a few days this week with our son who is visiting from NYC. Maybe I should pack a sponge and masking fluid???
Linda
p.s.I appreciated your comments on the symposium too.
Wow, these are so good, I love how you did the foam, it always looks impossible to me to do all those bubbles!
Love love love these Oregon coast scenes, Janene.