My South Downs Studio: I'm working on a new series inspired by the forest in Southern Spain
- clarawilkinson
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 2
When I'm in a particular landscape, I know instinctively if it will find its way into a series of paintings. This was the case with paintings such as 'I watched from the Riverbank' - about the River Exe in Somerset where my sons have played over the years. And more recently with these paintings 'La Brena y Marismas' a landscape series I'm currently working on in the studio.
I'm interested in how a landscape stays with me long after I have left it. Sometimes my paintings remain closer to observation, sometimes they move more towards abstraction. But they are a record of the landscape and the memory of the people that surrounded me at that time.
I want to remember a feeling and moment before it fades.
I'm particularly drawn to the landscapes of Southern Spain.
Here the light and colours of the trees and wildlife throughout the year are constantly shifting - intense in Spring and softer, more fragmented in Autumn. It is a place full of memory for me where my children and I have spent a lot of time over the years. When I paint this landscape I'm capturing passing moments, poignant memories of events, conversations and atmosphere.
La Brena Y Marismas has a particular atmosphere. The light is strong and white in late May, but it casts a diffused warmth through the pine trees, settling on the wildflowers and shrubs at the forest floor - creating shadows, textures and rich colour combinations. The bright shapes of mediterrean blue sky feel almost flat above.
I began these large oil on canvas paintings using washy thin paint - wide brushy marks full of movement and expression - capturing on canvas the underlying soft greens and whites. I'm now moving onto the richer layers - building up colour and contrast using Cadmium Green, Sap Geen, Manganese Blue mixed with Cadmium Yellow, Orange Ochre, Rose Pink and Titanium White.
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