An insight into the inspirations of ADO artist Amanda Barden

'Glimmer of Light'

Acrylic on canvas in a white frame

I always paint from the heart, using my emotions, and try to let the paint flow as much as I can.  My seascapes are an emotional expression of how the sea and sky feel to me on a particular day, and my abstracts are more about colours and textures.  

In my first ever painting, 'Glimmer of Light’, I tried to capture how the sea and sky looks and feels to me on one of those really gloomy days when the sea and sky seem to merge together as one, but then you suddenly spot that glimmer of light in the distance, on the sea’s horizon, and the flecks of sunlight in the sky and you instantly feel hopeful again.

When I started painting 'Glimmer of Light' I knew what I wanted to achieve and was so  happy when I managed to recreate the image in my head on to canvas.  

Initially, I started with the dark and choppy sea, using paper towels, my fingers and a water spray for blending.  Then, after that, I added the glimmers of light on the sea's horizon, followed by the sky and clouds, and finally the golden rays of sunlight using gold acrylic paints with touches of glitter.  And once 'Glimmer of Light' was completed, I decided to get it professionally framed, choosing a simple, white frame that contrasts with the darker tones of the painting.

'Outlook'

Acrylic on box canvas

'Outlook' is my interpretation of a sunset over the sea, but rather than setting out to create a realistic portrayal, I tried to capture the emotions that a sunset evokes and the contrasts of the light and dark shades within it.

I started off using white acrylic paints in varying thicknesses to build up the texture.  Next, I added light and dark brown to the edges of the canvas and worked inwards using paper towels, sponges and a water spray.  Finally, I added the gold and bronze colours and blended those in.   I hope you like the result.

Written by Amanda Barden

To see all of my work for sale on ADO please visit my artist's page

http://artdiscoveredonline.co.uk/artist-page/?artist=Amanda_Barden

An insight into the inspirations & techniques of ADO artist Paul Mitchell

'Shropshire Landscape 3', acrylic and ink on canvas board, 2015

This is a very recent piece, inspired by where I originate from in the county of Shropshire.  I used to love climbing The Wrekin Hill near Telford and was amazed by views such as this; overlooking the sweeping rural scenery like a green patchwork blanket.  I aimed to recreate the distant haze and feeling of depth, and how the sunlight punctures the clouds above.

'Rye, Lion Street' acrylic on block canvas, 2013

My partner and I are in love with the town of Rye in East Sussex, and this was produced very shortly after our first stay there during autumn.  We got engaged in Rye and strive to stay there as often as we can, so this place will always be special to me.  

The light was great on this day and the whites of the buildings seemed particularly sharp.  The church behind me is at the head of this impressive street.

Written by Paul Mitchell

To see all of my work for sale on ADO please visit my artist's page

http://artdiscoveredonline.co.uk/artist-page/?artist=Paul_Mitchell

An insight into the inspirations & techniques of ADO artist Graham Ibson

'The Titanic Violin 1912' by Graham Ibson

Hello art bloggers.  I have always been fascinated by the tragic maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. This watercolour was inspired by the sale of the Titanic Violin in 2013 for a record sum of £900,000.

The story behind this violin is that Wallace H Hartley and his band played their instruments to keep the passengers calm until the ship sank, and the violin and case were recovered from the Atlantic and returned to Wallace H Hartley's sister in Bridlington, Yorkshire, England. 

This is the hardest watercolour I have ever painted.  It was done wet on dry to get the aged look in various browns, and the use of purple, I think, leads the eye to the violin.  I hope you like the painting and the story behind it.

'A Crab For Tea' by Graham Ibson

'A Crab For Tea' takes me back to my childhood days, when we used to go by train along the east coast of Yorkshire.  It always seemed a big adventure at the time.  This painting features the beautiful fishing village called Robin Hood’s Bay.  My sister and I would fish for crabs in the rock pools.  Really, they were too small for tea, but we had a great time anyway. 

This painting again is wet on dry, other than the rocks which are wet on wet, and I have also dropped in various colours.  The best tip I was ever given was always to remember which way the light is coming from, as this helps so much with shadows and reflections.  

Thank you for reading my blog.  If you like these paintings, then please take a look at some of my other work on the wonderful online art gallery Art Discovered Online. 

http://artdiscoveredonline.co.uk/artist-page/?artist=Graham_Ibson

Written by Graham Ibson

An insight into the inspirations of ADO artist Emma Lloyd

'Sunset Over The Valley' by Emma Lloyd

I spent over 25 years (1980 - 2005) living in Israel, situated on the Mediterranean and although small, it has many a varied landscape from the coastal plain, desert in the south to lush valleys in the central and northern regions.

The colours of these landscapes along with the strong light and warmth of the sunlight have influenced my painting for many years now.

This painting ' Sunset Over The Valley' is typical of my work, these scenes are forever in my memory, the vibrant colours and rich textures are highlighted by an over large sunset.

 

Written by Emma Lloyd

To see all of my work for sale on ADO please visit my artist's page

http://artdiscoveredonline.co.uk/artist-page/?artist=Emma_Lloyd 

 

An insight into the inspirations of ADO artist Laurence Chandler

'Beyond' by Laurence Chandler

In 2011, after moving to live by the sea, which had always been one of my lifelong ambitions, I was inspired to paint again (after a break of over 20 years) by the beauty, immensity and wildness of the sea and sky.  In my work I try to capture all of this and how the sea and sky feel to me on a particular day by using mainly blue, purple, white, gold and red acrylic paints and blending them together using paper towels and sponges.

When I painted 'Beyond' I had in my mind a sunrise on a bright and sunny morning, but with a rough sea, due to the previous night's storm, so to create these contrasts, I decided to use a mixture of blues, purples and white to show the power and movement of the sea, but also  golds, reds and pinks to capture the colours of a sunrise and a bright and sunny day ahead.  Also, I love to paint on large canvases so that I can try to capture the vastness of the sea and sky and 'Beyond' is one of my larger paintings at 150 x 100cm.

'Reflection' by Laurence Chandler

'Reflection' is based on my experiences scuba diving.  Often when I'm under water and I look up towards the sea's surface, I can see the sunlight reflecting downwards on to the coral beneath and this is what I tried to replicate in 'Reflection' by creating lots of layers with a mixture of acrylic paint and glitter.

Written by Laurence Chandler

To see all of my work for sale on ADO please visit my artist's page

http://artdiscoveredonline.co.uk/artist-page/?artist=Laurence_Chandler