Inspired by J M W Turner

 

Still working on the painting above. Is a painting ever really finished? Took another one down this week to alter it because of the way the light in a room played upon it. Looking at these photos I already see changes I want to make. Lost in my picture is the motion captured so expertly by Turner in his Sunrise With Sea Monsters. 1845. His oil on canvas measures 3 ft x 4 ft. My acrylics are fast drying on this 8 inch by 10 inch canvas. There is no comparison, only inspiration when faced by the raw power of such a masterpiece. I remember seeing my first Monet, one of his Parliament Houses scenes, awestruck with the depth of the paint and each individual stroke, the play of light and color. My first Titian, The Rape of Lucretia, 1568, was a shocking contrast, the image almost flat yet the fabric and fabric reflected light without the depth of Monet's strokes. The technique of Titian was unparalleled and I remember it vividly as I had to write a paper about it for an Art History class. Everything about it, the scene, the details within the setting, the color, the technique was truly memorable as I sat before it for half an hour. Yet, it is painters like Monet and Turner which capture, dare I say, leave an impression upon me of a romantic feeling that transcends an image set in clear, defined lines, staging a scene. 

Another random piece inspired by J M W Turner's colors and his love of the interplay of fog and light.

Acrylic on Canvas. 9 in. x 3 in.