Atmospheric paintings of Japan

Category: Paintings of sea scenes

Watercolor painting of a wet beach with a sky reflection

“Walking on the sky”

What do plein air painters do when it rains?

No, it’s not a joke but it sounds like one. In my case, stay at home.

However, some artists seem impervious to the weather. One such artist is David Bellamy.

On a youtube video, I saw him paint at sea in a small boat while it was raining and his wash was just sluicing down the paper. And I saw him on top of a mountain in winter painting and there was ice in his washes!

You can see this for yourself. On youtube just type in David Bellamy Learn to Paint Watercolour Adventures. This video is absolutely hilarious but also inspirational.

What makes them even more comical is that he carries on painting and speaking in a calm gentleman’s voice as if everything is fine while his painting is quickly destroyed by the elements.

After watching this I’m ashamed to confess that I get upset by a drop of rain on my paper.

I really admire this artist and his seemingly unconquerable spirit. And I love that mild manner. If only I could be so relaxed about it all and not so reactive. I aspire to be like this.

Anyway, last Monday I had planned to go to a place called Ogata and to paint the tulips there. This is my second attempt to go and for the second time I couldn’t. This time it was because of rain.

Being unable to paint outside is really frustrating for me. It is not simply that the outdoors inspires me more but that it is such a sheer pleasure to the senses and my whole being.

Outdoors I can feel the epic size of the world around me. Indoors I have a studio about the size of a big wardrobe. It makes a difference.

Outdoors I paint real things. There is a feeling of intimacy and immediacy. Indoors I paint from another painting or a digital image.

However, the one advantage of painting indoors is that you can really experiment. And one of the experiments I do in the studio is to paint over old paintings that are failures.

Because these paintings have no value, I don’t have to be careful and am free to try everything and anything.

The painting above is one such example.

Here I painted over another painting of a sea scene. In the original painting a big part of the picture was the sky. You can’t see the whole picture because I cut it off. But you can see the top of some cumulus clouds at the bottom of the paper.

I changed the background into a beach scene simply by adding a thin line of blue for the sea and, with a big dry brush, a band of green for some headland.

Then I added a few figures and gave them soft reflections.

I was delighted with the result.

This idea of turning a sky scene into a beach scene came by accident though on a previous occasion.

I was indoors and just doodling over old paintings.

Anyway, I was practicing painting figures over a failed painting and I was painting the figures over the sky part of the original painting. And I really liked how powerful the figures looked against this unintentional sky background.

And then I had the idea at some point that I could turn this into a beach scene with the sky being reflected in the beach.

And today, I tried out that idea and am very happy with the result.

I think this is a very powerful image because the figures are like crosshairs on a rifle with the beach creating a strong horizontal line and the figures with their shadows creating a strong vertical line.

These crosshair-like figures attract the attention of the eye and thus act as a focus point.

Then I had another go at painting this scene. But this time on a new pristine sheet of paper.

“Soft beach reflection”

I’m quite happy with the result.

I love the feeling of spaciousness in this painting, especially as this is something my paintings rarely have. That said, it might be a little too spacious.

However, I’m not completely happy with it.

I think that compared to the original painting the sky looks weak. In the original painting, the sky is very powerful. I probably needed to use more pigment. So I will have another go in the near future.

Postscript

This story was originally written in April of 2014. I’m editing this story in April of 2021.

Sadly, I didn’t have another attempt at making that sky stronger. I have no idea why.

However, during this year, I did do another painting of a beach with a sky reflection. It’s a very subtle piece but I like it a lot.

“Dramatic beach reflection”

I am still very interested in the surface of wet beaches. They are irresistibly intriguing and beautiful.

And at some point, I hope to make a small series upon this subject.

February 14, 2022
Watercolor painting of a moonlit sea scene

I’m writing this in 2022.

And I’ve been painting for about 16 or so years now.

To be honest, I’ve not been financially successful as an artist.

So far, I think that I’ve sold about 40 paintings.

It may be more.

I wish that I’d kept a record.

But I didn’t.

And I cannot remember some of the paintings that I have sold.

I know this because of one very surprising and somewhat disconcerting experience.

I was visiting a Japanese family for a tea ceremony event.

And during the event, the man in the family took me to a room.

And this room was full of paintings.

And one of the paintings was by me.

It was one of my earliest paintings that I had sold.

And I was surprised because I had completely forgotten this image.

I felt as though I was looking at a painting done by another person.

I also wish that I’d kept not just a written record but a visual record of these sold paintings.

This is because I sometimes can’t remember what a painting actually looks like from a written record.

It would have been so useful from a business viewpoint too as I could possibly see what kind of paintings people buy.

Also some of the paintings I’ve sold were very beautiful.

And I was very proud of them.

So it would be nice to be able to see them now and again even as just an image.

Luckily, with the painting above, I had a visual record.

I remember the person who bought this painting.

And I remember how much I liked this painting.

I think this picture came straight from my imagination.

At that time, I felt a strong creative urge to paint a moonlit sea scene.

I’ve learnt that it’s wise to listen to such creative urges.

And this painting was the result.

I think my numerous trips to Beppu bay had taught me how to paint a sea scene.

And this is why I was able to paint such a scene straight from my imagination.

That’s all for now,

Gareth.

January 18, 2022
Powerful watercolor paintings of the sea

During 2013, I would often get on my bicycle and cycle to the sea.

It was just a 10 minute cycle ride.

And at the sea, I had a spectacular view of Beppy bay.

I would usually go at evening time and paint the sun setting over this bay.

It was a wonderful experience.

And here is a collection of the paintings I did of Beppu bay during that year.

I have no idea now what order I painted these pictures.

So I will show the one above first because it is my favorite.

I have the vague notion that when I painted this picture I was just playing around.

This is always a good way to be when painting because you relax.

And relaxing often leads to exciting things happening.

And for me this painting is really exciting.

It has a vibrancy that is much stronger than in my usual work.

I have tried to paint this picture again with the intention of capturing that vibrancy but I couldn’t.

But I will try a further time because I want so much to paint a sky with such vibrancy.

“A fishing boat returning home”

I am also very happy with this painting.

It has a lovely feeling of peacefulness.

It’s an unusual painting for me in capturing a moment after the sun has gone down.

Normally I paint dramatic sunsets.

And it’s almost a monotone painting except for a faint touch of yellow.

I like the composition of this painting.

Especially that cluster of clouds on the left hand side that slowly thin out towards the right.

And I like the “fluffy” edge of the clouds which gives a feeling of movement.

If you look at the composition as a bunch of abstract shapes then you can see how the boat is like a dark blob moving towards a bigger darker blob on the left hand side.

Looking at the painting in this abstract way gives me interesting ideas for future paintings where I can imitate that abstract pattern but change other elements such as the time of day, the objects and the colors.

“Rays of light hitting the sea”

For a long time I wanted to paint rays of sunlight hitting the surface of the sea.

It looks so beautiful and dramatic.

And I think this is one of my earliest and most successful attempts at painting rays of sunlight hitting the sea.

As well as the rays of light, what I also like about this painting is the delicacy.

Despite capturing a powerful moment this picture does it in a soft and slightly subdued way.

And I like those little ripples in the foreground and the slight change of color to a greenish gray.

As I look carefully, I can see that there are a lot of beautiful subtleties in this painting.

And, finally, this painting is very large and so I am also glad that it worked out.

Normally, it is much more difficult to get a good result with a large painting than with a small one.

“The final glow of evening”

And here is another painting I really like.

I am well aware that I keep saying how much I like each painting.

Perhaps it is becoming an annoying refrain.

But you have to remember these are the few survivors from a large number of paintings that got binned.

As for this particular painting, I like the limited number of colors.

It’s basically a monotone painting with a touch of yellow.

The yellow glow of the sky amidst those soft gray sweeping clouds and the dramatic reflection of the yellow light across the surface of the sea that is streaked with long gray shadows is beautiful.

I think the shape of the clouds has been painted very well and the final effect is extremely beautiful.

I also like that tiny fishing boat.

It’s tiny size helps create a feeling of vast space, even a touch of epicness.

“A beautiful day at sea”

This is a rather simple painting but I am very pleased with it.

The color palette is very limited consisting mostly of a warm gray, blue and black.

I like the misty background and the soft but dynamic feel of the clouds.

The ship is well painted and also catches the eye.

And there is a refreshing sparkle across the surface of the sea.

The only thing I am upset about is my signature which is too big and not very elegant.

I want to wash it out and redo it.

However, I won’t because there is a high chance that I will wipe out the paint underneath and thus spoil the painting even more.

“Ships at anchor”

I did several paintings of seascapes with big ships.

Luckily, I often see ships when I go to this bay.

There is a big steel factory by the bay called Shin-ni-tetsu and there is a regular flow of big ships going to and from this factory.

And the ships are sometimes anchored near the factory.

I think at the time I did this painting there were three ships at anchor.

I don’t know why I only painted two, especially as I think three would have been even better.

And I might add another ship in a future version of this painting.

But I am very happy with this painting.

I think the sky is stunning.

I love the intense colors and the shapes of the clouds.

For me, there is a feeling of dramatic beauty and vastness in this painting.

My only regret is once again my signature.

I wish it was smaller, simpler and less conspicuous like my present signature which is just the two initials of my name: “G” and “N”.

“Beautiful evening crossing”

Here is another painting with a big ship.

I like once again the simplicity of colors.

Essentially you have a warm red, a cool blue and the white of the paper.

And I am very pleased with the dramatic shape and softness of the clouds, the misty mountains in the distance, and the calm feeling of the sea.

But once again I am disappointed with my signature.

“Red evening glow across the sea”

This painting was an experiment.

And I think there is a slightly dreamy or surreal feeling about this image.

Perhaps one of the reasons for this surreal feeling is the intensity of the red across the surface of the sea.

It’s too red for a realistic image.

But I love it.

And perhaps another reason for the surreal quality is the softness.

Only the boat and the birds are hard shapes in this painting.

And as you look down from the top to the bottom there is a lovely transition of color and intensity.

At the top is a very pure blue, next a mix of that blue with white and a warm gray, then this sinks into a gray and this gray sinks into a very pure and transparent red and then this red becomes combined with lines of blue and finally the red fades into a very light red and the blue becomes more dominant and darker.

And finally I love the shape of the boat and its position in the painting.

Yet once again I can’t say I’m happy with my signature.

It’s too big.

“Evening grandeur”

This is my final painting.

And it’s a little different to the others because of the variety of colors and that touch of orange.

In most of these paintings I’ve used a very limited number of colors and no orange.

And sometimes I’ve been extremely limited with the color and made essentially a monotone painting with the subtle addition of just one color.

But in this painting there is a lot of color variety.

In the sky, for instance, there is a light purple, blackish gray, almost pure blue sweeping clouds, orange and a very light blue.

But even though this painting has more variety of colors than the others, it is like them all done with a soft and subtle touch.

And once again, like in a few of the paintings here, there is a feeling of vastness due to the tiny fishing boats.

I love this feeling of vast space.

Final word

I hope you enjoyed seeing these paintings of Beppu bay.

I am so happy to have this place on my doorstep.

It is a source of inspiration for me.

That’s all,

Gareth.

November 28, 2021
Watercolor painting of a beautiful and peaceful beach scene

This is Itogahama beach.

It is in Hiji town, Oita prefecture.

This painting of the beach was done in about 2011.

And I think I painted this picture on location.

Although I don’t think it is a great painting I still quite like it.

This is because it has a pleasing soft and misty feeling.

Also as I look at this painting I feel a calmness.

I have since done many more paintings of this beach.

And it is interesting to compare those paintings with this one and to see the change in my work.

There are many things about this scene that make it a good painting subject, such as the distant mountains, the rocky outcrops and the dramatic steep cliffs.

Those cliffs with the trees on top are fun to paint.

There are many buzzards in those trees and often they come out and glide high up over the beach.

I remember clearly walking along this beach to that second outcrop of rocks.

I wanted to see what was past that outcrop.

I have a strong desire to look beyond a coastal outcrop, or another turn in the road, or a mountain to see what lies beyond.

I think that I’m partly driven by curiosity and partly by the hope of finding a beautiful scene to paint.

But it was quite dangerous in this case as that second outcrop is a very rocky terrain with almost no flat areas.

And the rocks were wet and very slippery.

Still I persevered through this uninviting terrain and at last I saw past this outcrop.

Ironically, despite all that effort I can’t remember very well what I saw.

I think I saw a wide inlet and in the middle of it a small fishing port.

I don’t think it was a remarkable scene otherwise I would probably have taken a photo of it and then done a painting from the photo.

But that never happened.

So my exploration efforts were in vain but that has often been the case.

However, this doesn’t stop me from continuing to explore.

That’s all,

Gareth.

November 6, 2021
Watercolor paintings of the sun setting over Beppu bay

Beppu Bay is in Oita prefecture, Japan.

This place is just a 10 minute bicycle ride from my house.

This is wonderful for painting but a bit of a worry if we ever get a tsunami.

From my side of the bay at evening time you have a perfect view of the sun setting behind the distant mountains.

Around 2011, when these paintings were done, I often cycled to this coastal place and painted the sunset.

It was a wonderful experience.

Although the enjoyment was lessened by my struggles with trying to paint a sunset scene in watercolor.

There is a big concrete sea wall here that I would sit upon and where I would paint.

It was a very wide and flat surface and ideal for painting.

The concrete was also warm because it had soaked in all the heat of the day.

And in the evening time as the temperature cooled the concrete would release the heat.

Between the wall and sea is a huge pile of concrete tetrapods.

The tetrapods appear to have been just thrown on top of one another.

It is so ugly.

And when I first saw them I felt so disappointed.

But I can’t change that.

Normally, though, I don’t include them in my paintings.

Fishermen stand on these concrete tetrapods.

They are very quiet.

And I am always surprised to see fishermen arriving when I am leaving and it is becoming cold and dark.

I very rarely have any interaction with them.

But I find them an interesting addition to my sea paintings.

And one time, I remember a fisherman catching a very big fish.

He was so happy and he wished to give me the fish.

But I had no bag to put the fish in so I politely refused his generosity.

The only drawback to this wonderful painting spot are the funamushi, or sea roaches.

They are harmless, but who wants a black bug with lots of legs crawling up the leg of your pants.

And I should add that they are crawling up the inside of your pants.

But nothing is perfect.

And they are harmless.

Anyway, I should talk about the paintings.

So in the first painting, you have the mountains partially covered in mist.

I was very happy with this painting and have since done several more paintings based on this one.

I obviously used too much yellow and yet in some ways I like that excessive touch of yellow.

I think it is good to be excessive in my artwork.

Because I am too timid.

Also, being excessive increases the excitement and gets the creative juice flowing.

“Enchanting evening sky over Beppu bay”

The second painting is a very dramatic evening scene of Beppu bay.

I’m happy with the variety of colors in the sky.

And I’m happy with the strong contrast of warm and cool colors in the sky.

I think that I managed to express an epic feeling to the sky.

And you can see the warm lights of Beppu city at the bottom of the distant mountain.

These soft and twinkling specks of light appear almost magical as the evening sunlight disappears.

“A peaceful evening moment”

The third painting is a much simpler and less dramatic image of Beppu Bay.

But I like the feeling of calmness in this painting.

The original painting had no boat in the foreground.

I added that boat later.

It was from a photo I had taken on another occasion.

I remember being surprised by how well this addition worked out.

And I further remember a person who liked this painting very much.

She was very interested in buying it.

But in the end she never did.

However, she did buy another painting so it worked out well in the end.

But it didn’t work out well for this painting because one day I threw this painting away.

This is because although I thought it was quite a good painting, my later work is so much better.

Also, I have too many paintings and it’s a big problem.

Luckily I still had an image of this painting so I could show another one of my very few early paintings of Beppu bay.

That’s all,

Gareth.

November 4, 2021

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