Sketching the Sea

Coming to the end of another trip to Lochcarron. I've been busy with chores, but did get some time for sketching.  My idea this trip was to focus on the sea and the sky - how to represent these elements in line and colour. I started off on a sunny day in Plockton, staring at the sea.....

The Sea, the sea...

As this sketch unfolded, I remembered some pastel studies that John Houston had done of the sea. He did manage to capture that elusive quality of light on moving water. So difficult to do as you can see.
My next sketching attempt was over in Applecross at Ard Dhubh (close to the coral beaches). Here I was trying to capture both sky and sea. I had taken a large (A2) drawing pad down to the water's edge.

Skye from South Applecross

 And here a similar view in charcoal...

Skye from South Applecross

 The next was a smaller sketch over 2 sketchbook pages. From a breathtakingly beautiful spot in South Applecross - Camusterrach. Again I was trying to focus on the sea ....and the Cuillins

Skye from Camusterrach

Back to Applecross Bay. 5pm by now and still a beautiful sunny day. It was so warm I thought I'd do another big pastel sketch. Beach and sky.

Applecross Bay with Raasay.

Back in Lochcarron, I continued with the theme, but this time the layers of hills caught my attention. A little watercolour and ink sketch.

Attadale from Lochcarron

 

 

 Another day, the colour contrast between the deep purple of the sea and the orange-yellow seaweed caught my eye....

The Sea at Lochcarron (1)

  And looking along The Spit.....

The Sea at Lochcarron (2)

And another day, cold and windy in Diabeg, the sea was a beautiful colour, but I couldn't do it justice. I used pencil as well as pastels.

Diabeg from the Harbour

So I tried another view just in pencil.

Pier Hut, Diabeg

 And then today it was so wet and windy in Shieldaig that I stayed in the car to do a pencil sketch. I was still trying to capture the movement in the sea....

Shieldaig Island at High Tide

So that's probably it for this trip. I may get time for a couple of sketches tomorrow whatever the weather. Then back to the studio to do something with these sketches before the images are lost from my head.