Weather Coming In
Acrylic on paper
56 x 38cm Approx
This #painting is about capturing the #mood of the #mountains. I’ve not painted mountain scenery that often, even though I have been an active fell walker and mountain adventurer for about 30 years. I have always felt there has never been quite enough visual excitement to bring together a strong harmonious design, but this painting may just change all that.
A painting for me is more than a mere depiction of a place. It has to have design contrasts everywhere that create a rhythm and a dynamic that entices the eye. In this painting we are presented face on with the enormity of the crags, the mist rolling off the top. I can almost feel myself mentally preparing for the #climb ahead, dwarfed by #cliffs and circled by cawing ravens. The sharp skyline of the jagged #rock takes us to the lower craggy outcrop, half shrouded in mountain mist, then finally down to the pass where the route ahead is blurred and unknown. The added enjoyment for me of course is that I was there! I did take the photo reference. I always do. So a little of the memory of the place also went into the making of this, and that for me is the difference between a #picture and a #painting.
What I really enjoyed in this piece, and what I’m looking forward to developing further in other mountain paintings, is the way the dynamic #brushstrokes elevate the scene, giving it life and depth. The multiple angles and rhythm of the strokes generate energetic movement. We can see the #crags but we can’t see the #details, which allows us to savour the #mood and to imagine the moment. Time to put on the waterproof, take a short rest, grab a bite of a butty before slogging on into the dramatic theatre of rock.
Paul Talbot-Greaves RI, Artist, Author, Tutor
Paul Talbot-Greaves has been painting and writing for 30 years. He writes many articles for The Artist magazine (UK), has four practical art books published and has contributed to various others. He is represented by numerous galleries based around the North of England. He can be found on Instagram and Facebook where he regularly posts up to date pieces and inspirational stories.
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