New Horizons: Re-imagining Bamburgh Castle
Following on from last month's post In the Black - Bamburgh Castle monotypes, I'm now delighted to share the completed art work. This is a new way of working for me; not only have I changed my technique, I've also changed my style to give a dramatic, Romantic look of this much loved North East icon. I hope they evoke the drama of this windswept coastline with its centuries of history.
It's also the first time I've repeated the same composition in a number of different monotype versions. This deep dive into the subject, and finding the means to express it, pushed me outside of my comfort zone and into new areas of exploration and experimentation. I used the monotype medium in new ways to convey the poetry of this famous coastline.
For each iteration, I saw areas I liked and things I wanted to change, so repeating the process enabled me to have multiple chances to realise my vision.
One area of development was the mark-making in the sky. I used my usual wiping-away-with-a-cloth technique to give a soft, feathery look to the sky. But I also reached for diluted ink that I could splash around to give a dramatic, black cloudscape. As the ink dried, it revealed wonderful details in the way the ink pigments settled out rather like the granulation effect you sometimes see in watercolours.
Limiting myself to just black ink for the main features really focused my mind on finding new ways to represent the different areas of the shore. The sand, sea and dunes each offered a challenge to make that area distinct and yet connected to the the shore as a whole.
Monotype is a very broad, expressive medium so you can't really draw in detail. One needs to use a few deft marks to suggest a feature and give it vitality. A cloth is my go-to tool, but I also used bristle brushes, cotton buds and a stick. A simple paper stencil gave the distinctive silhouette of the castle. As the focus and main subject of these pieces, it made sense to take some time to draw this carefully and cut the shape neatly with a sharp knife. Maybe next time, I'll try creating the castle without the stencil to see a very different result.
I love applying transparent colour gradients with my big roller: it's like a theatrical lighting! I tried a number of variations and spent most clear evenings looking at the colours of the sky and considering which combination of blues, pinks and golds would evoke that wonderful sense of light just before dawn. I love the way the colours are repeated in the sand's reflections and to give a tint of colour to all areas of the composition.
This video gives a brief insight into my working process - how I created the image in black then over-printed with layers of transparent ink to add light and colour to the sky and reflections.
So, I haven't told you which one I consider the most successful! I have two in mind, but I don't want to prejudice you! Let me know in the comments which one you would choose. I'm excited to move forward with this new way of working and hope to share more in the not too distant future.
If you like these Bamburgh Castle art pieces you may enjoy my Lindisfarne Castle monotypes. Dunstanburgh Castle will be next!
These original monotype paintings are now available for sale. Just get in touch by phone (+447717256169) or email info@rebecca-vincent.co.uk to reserve a piece and discuss framing options.
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