An original painting of seabirds at dusk painted by artist Andrea Hook
Twilight Beachcombers

Acrylic painting on gessoed board.
7.5 x 12 inches. Unframed.

Details: One of two paintings of the same subject - approached in two different ways. This one is painted in layered acrylics onto a gessoed hardboard. Gesso is the traditional method used by artists to prime the surface of the support ready for the paint to be applied, but when it is applied in layers it can also add an interesting texture to the surface. When paint is applied over the top, this texture can still be visible on the surface of the painting. I chose this method with this painting and used the acrylics in a water-colour way - applying them in washes so that the gesso texture was retained.

Inspiration: Inspired by a freezing cold New Year's Day walk by Poole Harbour. This group of seabirds were methodically searching for food in the shallow lapping waves in this sheltered part of the harbour at Sandbanks. I loved the way the setting sun lit up the water and silhouetted the birds. It was worth shrugging off the gloves to capture a reference photo or two. I loved the grouping of the birds in one of the images, and (unusually for me) didn't modify it at all in this painting.

'Sunshine on a Palette'
Dorset Artist - inspired by nature and the beautiful wildflowers & coast of my home county
Oil & acrylic original paintings
All images © Andrea Hook
Winner of the New Forest Open Art 2015
Selected for Artists & Illustrators Magazine's Artist of the Year, Mall Galleries Exhibition 2017
Selected for 'The Artist' category of The Artist and Leisure Painter Magazines' Open Art Competition 2020
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An original painting of seabirds at dusk painted by artist Andrea Hook

Acrylic painting on gessoed board.
7.5 x 12 inches. Unframed.

Details: One of two paintings of the same subject - approached in two different ways. This one is painted in layered acrylics onto a gessoed hardboard. Gesso is the traditional method used by artists to prime the surface of the support ready for the paint to be applied, but when it is applied in layers it can also add an interesting texture to the surface. When paint is applied over the top, this texture can still be visible on the surface of the painting. I chose this method with this painting and used the acrylics in a water-colour way - applying them in washes so that the gesso texture was retained.

Inspiration: Inspired by a freezing cold New Year's Day walk by Poole Harbour. This group of seabirds were methodically searching for food in the shallow lapping waves in this sheltered part of the harbour at Sandbanks. I loved the way the setting sun lit up the water and silhouetted the birds. It was worth shrugging off the gloves to capture a reference photo or two. I loved the grouping of the birds in one of the images, and (unusually for me) didn't modify it at all in this painting.