Saturday, August 20, 2011

Seascape Oil Paintings Never Lose Dramatic Appeal

By Dorothy Dixon


Seascape oil paintings have a long history and have never gone out of fashion. Artists are as enthralled now and they were two centuries ago attempting to make water sparkle, show the effects of light, weather conditions, or time of day. Artists find satisfaction in sunsets over water and our ability to tame the wild sea.

It is also true that art collectors are attracted to seascapes when looking to purchase. With the Impressionists, seascapes gained in status. These men and women painted in all the varying conditions, times of day and light patterns. Before them, the English watercolorists made painting water popular with ethereal effects that have not been replicated to this day. That does not mean artists have given up trying.

Today, artists are still hard at work offering every style of seascape. Some specialize in boats and use this as the predominant motif. Others in the effects of light playing on the water, attempting to capture the mood or the ambiance of a conditions. Many artists prefer to portray the shore line or rocks and craggy hillsides with the water receding into the background. Many artist prefer to put people in their scenery with the water playing a supporting role.

Birds are often portrayed in seascapes. In fact all of nature is included. Some seascapes are loaded with details: harbors, ships, sunbathers, birds, dogs and beach umbrellas. These elements set the scene and add character to what is essentially the depiction of water. Illustrators love to fill the tableau with all the ephemera of the busy world.

Artists in the modern age may take a different modus operandi and go for minimalism. Using a monochromatic hue structure and few lines, they create the vastness and mystery of the sea. These seascapes are not about the details of life but about the mystical oneness of nature, removed from the concerns of everyday living.

Seascape oil paintings remain popular with art collectors. Artists will never stop painting them, not because of sales, but because they are a great challenge to technical ability. Nothing says amateur like a painting with dead water. Conversely, a sparkling, lively depiction enhances any wall and gives the viewer a lifetime of contemplation, just as if he were at sea. Read more about: seascape oil paintings




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