Andrew Eccleshall

Second Prize is a two-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine My Inspiration

I am attracted to drama and mood in landscapes. My goal is always to have people “feel” the painting. In this instance, my inspiration was a dear friend who has a lot of major challenges. She wades into the water every morning off of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, all year round, whatever the weather. It grounds and focuses her for the day. Her images from some of these morning dips are breathtaking and were the inspiration for Blue Serenity.

My Design Strategy

I eliminated everything from the scene except for the water and sky, focusing my attention on the motion. I wanted the viewer to feel as though they were in the water, feeling the rise and fall of the waves. Keeping the details simple and the color fairly monochromatic allows all the attention to be focused on the rolling forms and the tantalizing light play in the mid ground.

My Working Process

I work in oil on canvas or linen and always start by toning the canvas. For water scenes such as this, I initially work wet into wet using large brushes, creating the general forms and tones of the painting. After some drying time I work back into the piece, sharpening some forms and adjusting tones while keeping to the original palette. The final stage involves increasing and reducing contrasts and highlights. I will also use glazing techniques to unify some of the structures. A painting like this can look almost complete fairly quickly but will take a month or so of subtle adjustments to get it to where I’m finally happy with the atmosphere.

Contact Details

» Email: ajeccleshall@gmail.com

» Website: www.andyeccleshall.com