Lake in the landscape. Ink and charcoal played out in various thicknesses and density to invoke a contrast in line.
#mixedmedia #ink #blackandwhite #inkdrawing #charcoaldrawing #landscape #landscapedrawing #lakes #australianlandscape #mikestaniford
Portals to another world.
#rockpools #invadingsea #tidal #coastline #thesea #oceanside #australiancoast #acryliconcanvas #mikestaniford
Across the Pambula River. Yes, I’m reviewing the road trip sketchbook, deciding if anything should develop into a larger work. Do the details (two shown here) have potential to grow.
#sketchbook #review #sketchbookdetails #sketchbookart #roadtrip #pleinair #pleinairartist #landscapepainting #landscapeart #australianlandscape #australianartist #contemporarylandscape #artistsoninstagram #artgallery #mikestaniford
I don’t often rework sketchbook pieces but I made two colored charcoal drawings of the beach huts on Pambula Beach about a week ago and questioned the similarity. So sealed the charcoal and over painted with acrylic, thus losing the sense of pencil and bringing a certainty to the work. You know that feeling when you’re much happier with something!
#beachhuts #pambulabeach #rework #revise #correction #acryliconpaper #sketchbook #sketchbookart #sketchbookpage #gettingitright #windsorandnewton #pleinair #pleinairartist #pleinairpainters #roadtrip #mikestaniford
The track to Dead Horse Gap. Back in Sydney, reviewing last week’s work and missing the mountains.
#backhome #studioreview #reviewingwork #mountains #australianlandscape #pleinairpainting #australianlandscape #mikestaniford
Light across the Land. It’s why I paint.
#australianlandscape
#australianlandscapepainting
#australianlandscapeartist
#lightacrosstheland
#weather #paintingtheweather
#outdoors #seeformiles #art #artforhomes #contemporaryart #mikestaniford
You know how much I love TREES. So this series of etchings by American abstract expressionist, Joan Mitchell, really caught my eye. Now on show at The National Gallery in Canberra.
#nationalgallery #canberra #joanmitchell #abstractexpressionist #americanpainter #trees #freethinker #artgalleries #artmovement #roadtrip #laststop #hometosydney
Dead Horse Gap at the top of the Snowy Mountains. Working fast, it’s cold and windy and the light changes every few seconds. Totally exhilarating being out in the elements. Heading home to Sydney tomorrow via Canberra to catch the Joan Mitchell exhibition and Bungendore to see @janegerrish OBSERVE @sukihugh_gallery
#mounaineering #mountainrange #pleinair #pleinairpainting #impressions #weather #acrylicpainting #acryliconpaper #travellingartist #roadtrip #australianlandscape #australianlandscapeartist #artshow #artexhibition #artgalleries #mikestaniford
Halfway up Mt Kosciusko and some breathtaking scenery. Impressions of this elevated landscape every way you turn. Temperature dropping. Hard to believe I was swimming on the Sapphire Coast, 26c just a few days ago. The beauty of road trips eh?
#mtkosciuszko #alpineregion #pleinair #pleinairartist #snowies #temperaturedropping #chairlift #thredbo #elevated #upinthemountains #mikestaniford
From 25c on the coast to 9c here at Crackenback in the Snowies! First impressions in Posca and charcoal. Now it’s time to light the fire! #mountainregion #temperaturedrop #roadtrip #draw #drawingoftheday #drawingmatters #mikestaniford
Just watching the waves coming in against the extraordinary magenta-colored rocks.Last day here in Pambula, tomorrow we head for the mountains.
#beachday #ontherocks #rocky #rockpools #waveaction #southcoast #gouachepainting #pleinair #pleinairpainting #roadtrip #australianlandscape #australianlandscapeartist #mikestaniford
Merimbula boardwalk. Shadows playing across the pathway caught my eye here as well as the partially fallen tree which provided that point of visual drama. So many good conversations with local passers by. Gouache on 200gsm matt stock.
#lake #lakeside #paintingpleinair #pleinair #pleinairpainter #gouachepainting #gouache #boardwalk #edgeofthelake #outdoors #paintingoftheday #australianlandscape #australianlandscapeartist #southcoast #sapphirecoast #contemporaryart #mikestaniford
Somewhere south and on the coast. It’s that idea of a fleeting look, a partial view. That bright turquoise ocean broken by the barrier of trees, clawing their way out to the horizon. It always strikes me as being very metaphorical...the arms of the ocean reaching up to touch the shore.
#oceanlife #ocean #paintingtheocean #oceanworld #turquoisebay #turquoisewater #landscapepainting #escapism #australianlandscapeartist #bayarea #nature #gouachepainting #southcoast #southcoastnsw #mikestaniford
Haycock Point. Quick, intuitive drawing, making those snap decisions about what stays and what goes. How to interpret the complexity of a scene into an interesting subject study. I’ll be focusing on the very act of recording what you see and how to keep the hand/eye coordination working in my upcoming workshops FAST AND LOOSE with partner @debbiemackinnon All spots in workshops now fully booked.
#draw #drawing #workshops #fastandloose #observation #drawingmatters #practice #process #drawingoutside #pleinair #mikestaniford
Haycock Point and stunning weather. Hard to say how far the ocean will push the incoming tide towards me but for now perched up on the incredible pink rocks, I’m working fast. Gouache is a great outdoor medium, dries quickly to a lovely opacity and half a dozen tubes is enough. The seabirds are also closing in, curious to see what I’m doing.
#headlands #coastal point #coastline #coastalliving #haycockpoint #coastalnsw #gouachepainting #A3 #workingfast #incomingtide #ontherocks #mikestaniford
The complete picture. I posted some details of this piece earlier this week during our stay at Depot Beach. Looking from the deck of our cabin through the trees to the ocean was just one small aspect of the view that caught my eye. I’ve made several changes, having looked at it every day as we’ve travelled south and now finally feel happy with it. That balance between the brightness of the sea beyond versus the detail still pushing through in the trees, branches and foliage. Knocking back the distant headland. Who doesn’t love a glimpse through to the ocean?
#ocean #oceanlife #surf #crashingwaves #beach #beachlife #beachvibes #beachpainting #depotbeach #nswcoast #coastal #coastline #coastalliving #uplifted #nature #promise #crystalclearwater #contemporaryaustralianart #contemporaryartist #australiancoastline #artcollectors #artbuyers #acryliconboard #46 x 50cms
Beach huts on the mouth of the Pambula River. The white paper working to create effect. Pastel crayons, Windsor & Newton sketchbook.
#beach huts #riverside #crayons #pastels #whitespace #draw #drawing #drawingoftheday #drawingmatters #artistsoninstagram #travellingartists #artoftheday #sketching #acuteobservation #processoflooking #observing #reductive #pambulabeach #pambularivermouth #mikestaniford
If I don’t draw a place I don’t feel I’ve really been there. South of Pambula in the NSW coast and some preliminary sketches of the Yowaka River. Continuing the road trip south.
#fieldstudies #landscapesketches #sketching #observing #recording #charcoalpencil #charcoaldrawing #riverlife #meandering #draw #drawing #drawingoftheday #mikestaniford
Upright Point. High up looking down through the trees. The session started precariously when I set up to close to the edge, my bag tipped over and the contents tumbled towards the edge, both water pots going over. No water pots, no painting so I had to take a pathway to the bottom and then start climbing up the cliff searching amongst bushes. The artists life.
#gouachepainting #uprightpoint #nswcoast #precarious #cliffedge #artistslife #sapphirecoast #coastline #throughthetrees #depotbeach #mikestaniford
Glimpses through trees. The Sapphire Coast and details of a work in progress.
#sapphirecoast #acryliconboard #workinprogress #truecolours #coastline #5hours #southofsydney #australiancoastline #australianpainter #australianlandscape #holidaybreak #mikestaniford
That moment when the sun’s last warmth throws a pink smile across the bay. And still managed a shimmer. Boats, jetties and oyster fields. Somewhere on the NSW coast.
#eventide #sundown #pinkreflections #light #acrylic #bayarea #mikestaniford
Rockpool energy. Just watching it is mesmerizing.
#waves #wavescrashing #rocks #rockpools #resistance #energy #oceanlife #oceanside #seascape #seapainting #acrylicpainting #acryliconpaper #mikestaniford
Tides are like the rhythm of time itself. 🔴Delighted that ROCK POOLS LITTLE BEACH is off to a new home in northern New South Wales. Thank you so much to the buyer. I’m heading south to the Sapphire Coast on Sunday and be looking out for some more rock pools locations.
#artcollectors #buyingart #gratitude #upcomingroadtrip #newlocations #loverockpools #oceanlife #oceanlifestyle #mikestaniford
Always good to see them insitu. #insitu #inthehome #artbuyers #artcollectors #artinthehome #lovescreek #australianoutback #eastmcdonnellranges #vogueinteriors #buyart #landscapepainting #australianartist #mikestaniford
Started over a year ago, I was absolutely enthralled with the East McDonnell ranges, 90 kms east of Alice Springs. This is LOVE’S CREEK at 5pm with the sun slipping fast yet pumping colours on the hills and rocks like you wouldn’t believe. Such a unique and spiritual land. Acrylic on board, 103 x 125cms.
#outback #outbacklandscape #australianoutback #alicesprings #eastmcdonnellranges #spiritualland #endofday #sunset #dryriverbed #lovescreek #landscapepainting #australianlandscape #contemporaryart #ancientland #australianlandscspeartist #light #settingsun #artcollectors #artbuyers #artinthehome #mikestaniford
Tallow Beach. #abstraction #seascape #oceanlife #oceansroaring #coastline #centralcoast #beachlife #acrylicpainting #acryliconboard #ozonetherapy #seaair #waves🌊 #contemporaryart #australiancoast #australiancoastalstyle #australianartist #artoftheday #mikestaniford
Now I feel it’s working. You can’t underestimate the importance of stepping back and looking at what’s NOT working. A shift in some of the perspectives, fields painted out, reworked and repainted and rethinking some of the colour values. I love landscape and this wide format, long distance ‘view’ gives you the possibility of looking and looking again. You’ve been there right? This fabulous big land.
#landscapepainting #landscapepainting #landscapeartist #australianlandscapepainting #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #artistsoninstagram #artoftheday #artcollector #panorama #wideangle wideformat #bigland #arthuyers #artgalleries
Sections of the same painting and an extension of the drawing in my last post. Fields and white tracks all the way to the far headland.
#abstraction #abstractpainting #abstractlandscape #geometry #fields #whiteroads #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #landscapeartist #landscapearchitecture #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #workinprogress #mikestaniford
Sometimes it helps to draw and draw again before starting to paint. The geometry of fields. Posca on paper. 55 x 140cms
#landscape #landscapedrawing #draw #drawingoftheday #poscapens #fields #abstracted #blackandwhite #whiteroad #ruralaustralia #rurallandscape #reductive #abstracted #abstractlandscape #mikestaniford
Almost there. I’m liking this wide format and the sense of panorama. Once again the setting sun at the end of the day turning colours through pinks to orange, shifting shapes and shadows across the peninsula. Swipe for some details. Acrylic on canvas. 40 x 122cms.
#landscapepainting #australianlandscapeartist
#contemporaryartist
#distantviews #landscapelovers #reflections #waterway #bushland #wideformat #panorama #mikestaniford
