Just off the easel

Walking the dunes: Tentsmuir

The finished painting and subject of my previous ’Work in Progress’ post. Tentsmuir offers a wealth of inspiration for artists and nature lovers: the changing light; the contrast in texture and form created by the grasses and vegetation and the different landscapes . The Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve takes in Morton Lochs, Tentsmuir Point and Tayport Heath and is home to many species of bird and mammal that take advantage of the varied habitats.

From blank canvas to finished piece

I started with a canvas covered with a ground of gray gesso. I used a limited palette of Payne’s Gray, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Cobalt Violet and Titanium White to establish a base layer of greens and browns for the vegetation and grasses covering the foreshore. The images below show the process of adding texture and detail using a palette knife. For a closer look at the finished piece, visit my Gallery page.