This week I was back in the studio working on something that’s been on my mind for a while — the light you find among the gums on the South Australian coast. I’ve been thinking a lot about the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island lately, those places where the scrub meets the sea and the afternoon turns everything gold. Coastal Gums started as a feeling more than a plan.
What I painted
I love travelling around South Australia, especially the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island — the rugged coastline, the surf, the way the vegetation clings on against the wind. This painting is drawn from that country. What I was really after was that magical glow you get in the late afternoon among the gums, when the trunks catch warm light and the shadows go cool and blue. It’s the kind of light that doesn’t last long, which is probably why it stays with you.
What I was working on technically
Value and colour were the main focus with this one. Getting the temperature contrast right between the warm light hitting the trunks and the cooler, shadowed areas took a lot of back-and-forth. I find that when you nail the value structure first, the colour almost sorts itself out — but it’s easy to get distracted by colour and lose the values underneath. I tried to keep the darks clean and let the lighter passages breathe.
Available in the shop
Coastal Gums is available now — oil on linen, 40×30 in., $2,000. View it in the shop →
Also — I was recently given a large 1200×900mm canvas that someone else had started. I’m going to resurrect it. Stay tuned.
Roger Alby Richter paints from his garage studio in Newport, Port Adelaide. Original oils available in the shop. Commissions welcome — get in touch.
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