(^1) Working the composition
I began by painting a rough
sketch in watercolour to align
composition and took reference
photographs of the bay and
boats. Back in the studio,
I used various sections of the
reference photographs to create
a balanced composition, then
roughly sketched this out using
a watercolour pencil on a 50 x
50cm canvas.
(^2) Adding interest with
collage and texture
Then I selected various collage
pieces depicting relevant words,
phrases and images about the
sea, and other such items to
include in the piece.
To add texture, I applied
resin sand with a palette knife
on the houses and parts of the
bay, and spread molding paste
through a stencil onto the quay
walls and patterned paper which
was glued down with PVA glue
(making sure that some of the
paper was crumpled slightly, to
create creases and small furrows
for the paint to settle into). The
collage pieces were then glued
to the substrate in various areas.
(^3) Creating the underpainting
Using acrylic paint in Turquoise,
Ultramarine Blue and a little
Magenta (which gives an
understated glow when it‘s
blended with the other colours),
I began to block in the sky and
M
y inspiration for
this step-by-step
demonstration
was a beautiful
view across the bay of St Ives
in Cornwall. I’ve painted this
scene many times but on this
occasion I wanted to change the
aspect to include both sides of
the panoramic scene. So using
artistic licence I tweaked the
components of reality to fit in
with the result I wanted.
MATERIALS
OPalette knife
OVarious collage pieces
OResin sand
OPVA glue
OBlack gesso
OMolding paste
OWatercolour paints & pencil
OAcrylics: Ultramarine Blue,
Turquoise, Magenta,
Indigo, Orange, Burnt
Sienna, White
beach areas by spraying the
canvas with water and applying
the paint with a scrunched-up,
damp paper towel. Applying
the paint in this way allows the
acrylics to blend easily, creating
a lovely atmospheric effect and
depth of colour.
Then, using the Turquoise
and Orange, I blocked in the
houses, lighthouse, quays and
sand. I then toned down the
bright colour of the sky and bay
using a diluted white acrylic,
again applying with a damp
paper towel to represent low
water with some suggestion of
sand banks.(^4) Adding details
I used coloured collage paper
to create the boats and added
detail to the houses, lighthouse,
boat masts, moorings and quays
using the edge of a credit card
dipped into black gesso. The hill
in the background was loosely
painted with a glaze of Burnt
Sienna, which I also applied to
the roofs and quays to knock
back the bright orange colour.
(^5) Finishing off
I toned down the pinkish colour
in the foreground sandbank
with Burnt Sienna and White.
Shadows were introduced
beneath the boats and on the
quays using Indigo acrylic,
and further details such as the
suggestion of figures walking
across the sand, a ladder down
the front quay and a hint of some
seagulls in the sky.
To break the picture plane
I added a breakwater on
the right-hand side. Finally,
I introduced the prow of a boat
into the bottom right and signed
the piece!
Words and phrases about the sea come from a variety of printed
sources and are applied to the painting with PVA glue.
Boats are created from
coloured collage paper.
My work has evolved through
various mixed media techniques,
for example, photo transfer, water
media, collage, acrylics and acrylic
mediums. I am drawn towards
abstraction and representational
imagery which allows me to
experiment. I work intuitively, often with no set goal in
mind apart from a strong composition, placement of
a focal point and a pre-defined colour scheme. I keep
my mind and creative process open to changes and
new directions as I work through the piece.
My style has developed to interact with the
Helen Kaminsky
ARTWORK:
SAND BANKS
ARTWORK:
FISH FOR TEA 2
observer as I like to keep a sense of mystery within
my paintings and for the interpretation to change with
each viewer’s own imagination.
Texture and collage play a big part in my work,
sometimes veiling words with a light coat of paint
provides curiosity and interest. Texture can be
applied using household items such as salt, sawdust,
sand, herbs, netting, cling film, and so on. I also love
to use different items to apply the paint: credit
cards, twigs, sponges, stencils, stamps, bottle
tops, Lego... the possibilities are endless!
MORE INFORMATION
Owww.helenkaminsky.co.uk
Ocommunity.saa.co.uk/art/helenkaminsky