INTERPRETATION AND VARIATIONS
​
My intention with this series of paintings is to invite the viewer to concentrate on The Sea much more than they might usually. Observing the movement, shapes and colours of the seascape, influenced by the natural elements of sun, wind and rain.
These pictures came about because I would fish at Frazer Reef just north of Iluka, New South Wales Australia, often losing my bait (mostly to seagulls) in a short space of time. Then I would sit on the same rock each day and draw the sea, always facing towards north-east.
It was easy to make variations of this scene as the sea was never the same from one day to another.
Although the smaller pastel drawings were done in sequence over many enjoyable weeks, the larger pictures were painted afterwards at random over the following year.
To quote Matisse: “To render beauty accessible to all”
The waves were breaking so close to where I was sitting, sometimes a mist would float over me. How am I going to draw this lyrical phenomenon?

The shape was not easy to depict as the spray would linger.
To start the drawing was difficult, so I decided to rub pastel over the whole page (format). Once I did this the rest of the process came easy.

The picture needed anchoring, so the red and dark at the bottom of the painting became necessary.