Coastal Ecosystems: Painting by Vicki Beamish
Vicki Beamish, our featured artist of the day, is a painter who is fascinated by coastal ecosystems. Her photorealistic style of working goes well with the documentary sensibilities that drive the artworks.
Born in British Columbia, Vicki takes photos whenever she is travelling or outdoors on the west coast, later using the photos as reference for her paintings. The way she paints is smooth and even, with great attention to detail. Tree branches, stones and leaves come alive under Vicki’s paintbrush.
I really enjoy the way Vicki treats bodies of water in her work – whether it’s an ocean, a lake, or a river, the shadowing is always beautiful, and the texture like glass, or rougher to indicate more movement. Looking at some of these paintings, I can almost hear the wind rushing through the grass or birds chirping in the distance.
