In honour of Edward Seago

On the anniversary of Edward Seago’s birthday (Born 31 March, 1910), I thought I’d  use the occasion to show some of my recent efforts. I recently had the opportunity to spend a bit more time painting than I have done for quite a while and, in an effort to help me regain some confidence, I looked to one of my favourite Edward Seago books, by Ron Ranson, for inspiration.

The book features examples of both oils and watercolours and was my first introduction to his work. There’s always a danger of copying an established artist’s work but I whilst I’m initially striving to gain some greater confidence and competence with my painting, I’m happy to see these as exercises to help me improve – rather than becoming a proficient ‘copyist’. I also find that the process sharpens the mind as to the steps taken and decisions made to arrive at a finished painting. First up then in this short series is an interpretation of a classic Seago ‘Yacht on the Stocks’, with the original shown first and my interpretation following. I’ve left them side by side so it’s easy to compare and contrast and, I confess to being a little uneasy showing these side by side as it seems to put into stark contrast the brilliance of Seago against my own deficiencies!

Whilst the two images only bear the briefest of passing resemblances, seen in isolation, I wasn’t totally displeased with the result of my interpretation and I can still recall, amidst all the wrestling with brushes, colours and drying times, the enjoyment I experienced painting it!