'Seaside Culture' - Figurative Oil Painting by Amanda Russian

I finally finished 'Seaside Culture' (previously titled 'Beach Life').  I have done many changes since my first 'work in progress' posting of this piece.  Deleted a few figures, as well as deleting the sand castle and buckets in the foreground.  I felt, in the end the painting worked better without these items....or maybe it's because it's been sitting in my studio for so long now, I just wanted it finished....sick of looking at it!  It was such a large painting with so many figures....I'm looking forward to starting something new...something on a smaller canvas.

'Seaside Culture'

Oil on stretched canvas

122 x 91cm

I'm going to enter this artwork into the Moreton Bay Region Art Awards....'fingers crossed' I get in.

'Beach Life' - Work in Progress

I'm reasonably happy with the way this artwork is progressing.  I have done a few changes from my first posting of this work....firstly - the lady with the toddler - I have brought forward...I felt her size just didn't seem right in the distance...secondly - I decided to delete the fellow with the red shirt that was in front of the 3 girls on the right side of the painting. 

I feel it's starting to work now....I think - 'well I hope' - first you notice the 3 girls on the right, then your 'eye' is drawn through the painting to the swimmers in the distance.  Well..at least that's what I'm trying to achieve.

The size of this painting is 122 x 91cm

'Beach Life' - Work in Progress

Well....school holidays are here, and of course Christmas is less than 2 weeks away, so unfortunately I haven't been able to paint as much as I'd like...so I thought I'd 'post' a 'work in progress'.

This is a large artwork, oil on stretched canvas - 91 x 122cm.

Back in September I spent a week at Kings Beach on the Sunshine Coast.  I took my sketch pad and did a bit of drawing while my kids were 'yahooing' on the beach.  It was interesting observing all the different ages and groups of people all socialising 'at the beach'.  I'm trying to convey that in my painting....'Beach Life'.  I've still got alot of work ahead of  me.  I'm still not sure about some of the sizing of the figures in the distance and I'm also not really sure if it's all going to come together and work... but I will be able judge better when I complete more of the background, water and figures.