#115 'Sunrise Vik, Iceland' 8x8"

I was back in front of the church looking down on the rocks at 5am for sunrise, which happened a lot faster than sunset the night before. I didn't have time to paint the rocks in first. Instead I quickly mapped in the shapes and got to work on the sky. The colours were so fleeting but it helped having painted this subject numerous times before I had 'learnt' it in my mind, so I was able to paint it quickly.
This was on Friday and my last painting in Vik. I was sad to say goodbye as it had been such an inspiring place. We then drove all day to our next stop along the coast to quite a different landscape...

#114 'Sunset Vik, Iceland' 8x8"

I stood in front of the church at 8pm, it was my last painting of the day. Being higher up it allowed me to see more of the sea which reflected the evening colours.
I put the rocks in first which gave me some structure to work around. - Dark and silhouetted. It felt a lottery to when I should paint the sky as I wanted the sunset to be at its peak.
A German lady asked while I was painting how do you paint this when it's changing to fast? And it was every time I mixed a colour and looked up the colours had changed or the clouds had moved! So once I started on the sky I committed to my mind what I saw the colours and shapes and then I painted like billio! I also took a photo in case I needed it later.
It was a challenge to get the colours light in tone but with enough colour and not to chalky. I'm pleased with how it turned out, with no time for overworking and it inspired me to do another one here  the next morning :-)

#113 'Vik Church, Iceland' 7x9.5"

 

I was standing a little way up a mountain to be eye level with this church. I thought it had an alpine feel and is actually very typical of Icelandic churches.

I simplified the scene and focused on the bits I liked - the contrast between the white building and the dark rocks. I used thicker paint then previous seascapes to emphasis the lush greens. The plain below the hill was so wide and expansive to the sea I had to reduce it a little for the composition and the board!

The distant cliff and land I made sure looked far away with very pale muted colours, not much darker in tone than the sky, to give a sense of space.

The sounds around me travelled and high up on the mountain were Oyster Catchers swooping and calling, they sounded like they were just above my head.

#112 'Dyrholaey, Iceland' 20x30cm

 

Thursday I completed 3 oil paintings in one day! That's my record so far:-) I will post them all today....
I decided to make the very long trek on the rock stacks beach to the other end to get a different view, see pic below.
It was early around 8am when I started painting. Just as I was about to begin a rainbow appeared nearly over my head. I could see the rain coming and battened down the hatches until it passed. - Had to show you this as it looks like the rainbow's coming out of my pochade!

My light coloured board was attracting midges and once the paint was on their they were all sticking to it, not easy to paint around! 
Iceland has huge spaces, its a big country and this view was still a long way away, although it showed off the sky well, and after the rain the clouds were interesting and I enjoyed painting them. My board was a different type again and you can see the weave of texture it has created. The light house gives this one scale, so tiny!

Husband Nick took this of me doing the long walk down the deserted beach!

#111 'Evening Light Vik, Iceland' 5x10"

We drove around for a while trying to find a new view of the area. We went up the coast quite a few miles and found this deserted beach to paint on. It was nearly 7pm and I had a 20 minute weather window of sky and light, then the grey clouds came over. But doing a small painting I quickly got the sky in and the painting only took 50 minutes.
Painting on a beach that goes on for miles and miles with no one else on it has a good feeling to it.
Pat commented on one of my Vik paintings that it looks as though I'm enjoying doing these. I can't tell you how much! Absolutely sucking it up and making the most of our time here :-)

#110 'Vik Beach, Iceland' 8x10"

I did two more paintings yesterday from the Vik village side, where you see more of the rocks I thought they looked a bit like teeth!  I tried a more textured surface board and after a smooth board it felt strange and I didn't have enough paint on my brush a few times as it grips more. Not much sunlight and therefore little contrast between light and shade. Although the froth of the waves coming onto the black sandy beach was very strongly contrasted.

#109 'Reynisdrangar Vik, Iceland' 7x9.5"

 

I completed this second painting in the afternoon. The light changed half way through with the sun coming out which enriched the colours and contrast.
I walked down the beach it was hard going in the soft back sand and my gear. I liked the stacks smaller and at a different angle so I could see three instead of two of them - in the first painting.
I wanted to try and convey the energy of the sea, it was massive and so loud, with continuous spray in my face. I used lots of loose brush marks in the sky and sea. And putting some tiny figures in gave a sense of scale.

#108 'Reynisdranger Sea Stacks', Iceland' 20x30cm

I did two paintings yesterday, this was the first on such a dramatic beach at Vik, with black sands and sea stacks jutting out of the water, the seas were huge with crashing waves. Such an inspiring place to paint :-)
Vik is on the south coast of Iceland exposed to the Atlantic weather although we were lucky it didn't rain and the sun actually came out!
I was fairly close to the stacks (rocks) along with many tourists interested in the Puffins and me, lol!
I wanted a contrast of thin translucent paint and thicker opaque and being careful not to cover all the thin first layer. With the black sands the colours all harmonised and so I used a limited palette which added to the drama.
If Monet were alive and here I'm sure he'd love to paint in Vik as I do! His Etretat paintings remind of this area in Iceland.