Before the start of this year, I was determined to mostly create my paintings on location, in order to represent the scene as successfully as possible. However, I have been unable to get out to paint for much of this year, due to numerous storms and now the lockdown, I have had to rely more heavily on the use of photography.
This has been a difficult transition but I have found it beneficial in many ways; it has allowed me to spend more time working on paintings and to analyse their effectiveness. When I haven’t been able to travel to more open landscapes, where detailed depictions of trees would normally feature my compositions, I have looked upon elements which feature more frequently within more urban landscapes…telephone poles!
The first time these structures made an appearance within my work was during a time of persistent stormy weather, when I had no other choice than to find inspiration from the view outside my window. Similar to the way trees at Bwlch Nant Yr Arian informed my compositions, I was intrigued by the way the telephone pole and its wires intersected with the landscape to create an interesting perspective.
The detail present within these overlooked, former trees inspired me and I wanted to depict the pattern of the wood and the colours that were present as the light reflected off of its surface. Within this painting, I prioritised my focus upon the details of the pole and tree. The background was a secondary task as I wanted the colour to compliment the focal points. When working on the background I was not able to create the existing colour, so I ended up with a darker blue, which seems to envelop the tree. I feel that this works particularly well within the composition- a useful accident! 🙂
Adalia Mynett 