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View across the dunes, May 17, 2020, oil on card, 23.5 x 21 cm
I am revisiting this extraordinary area, which at first sight appears barren, but at second can be seen to be rich.
I don`t know how long I will spend this time round working here. It feels right to be here now. That`s probably because I spent of the last couple of years driving up to the forest where the landscape is, obviously, quite opposite in almost every sense, and I needed a change.
Anyway, the dunes are fascinating, and necessitate a completely different approach. The browns, greens and yellows are marvellously subtle and teasing. I`ve now been back about six or seven times, so perhaps I`ll do much of my painting this winter here. I have bought seven new brushes expressly.
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Blue
I`ve been using a paint called Pthalmo Blue. It`s so strong that it tends to dominate all the other colours. So I use it with considerable care, much like Prussian blue. But even so it can easily stain all the other colours on the palette. Prussian and Cerulean blue are similarly difficult, I find, readily dominating the palette. But their sheer force is such that it is very tempting to use it for creating accents and both mix in interesing ways if used sparingly.
The Cobalt and Ultramarine blues are considerably easier to mix being more delicate.
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