searchingtoseeBeach days (III)
Posted on May 28, 2014
Beach days #4
Beach days #5
I’ve been working on this beach series for the past couple of months. I started work on it because a gallery owner local to West Kirby (where I grew up) liked some of my layered work, but wanted something coastal. I’ve struggled with naming them, though (it’s always a problem!), because even though they are all from very specific locations, they are deliberately quite abstract.
For me, working with layers give me greater freedom to explore the local environment: the texture, colour, form and atmosphere of the landscape, and (hopefully) create something fresh and new, which is at the same time recognisable to its particular location.
These two images are from Sidmouth, which is a place we visit often as a family because my dad and step mum live there. The children love the beach, and searching for crabs in the rock pools.
You can find the whole series so far on my website, or in my artfinder shop.
© images and content Emily Hughes, 2014
Coherence
Posted on March 10, 2013
The sky drops right down to the sea, and shears a perfect horizon at the edge of the world where the air meets salt water. The sea exhales, lilting undulant murmurs which curl and crease up to a wrinkle and then smooth again in turn. Rise and fall. As regular and certain as the breath, as the expanding and contracting of the lungs.
The sun flickers and wanes. A light bulb going out. It skips and glints across the frothy tips.
It’s always there, and always to be found. Once it has found you, and you have absorbed its salted sweet essence it will seep into a chamber of your heart and never leave. You will always be able to find it there, when you need it.
And you will always come back for more.
*****
© images and content Emily Hughes and searchingtosee, 2013
Rolleiflex
Posted on September 8, 2012
At last I have some recent images from my beloved rolleiflex to share.
These were all taken this summer in Sidmouth, Devon and various locations in France.
I didn’t make any adjustments to the images apart from the odd minor crop or straightening of a wonky horizon as I wanted to show them as they are (although some of them would work really well in black and white) This constitutes two rolls of film (you get 12 to a roll), so I was pleased I got so many images I liked considering focusing was pretty hard (the focusing screen is very dark on my camera), and framing can also be quite tricky. I was also guessing a lot with exposure as my light meter is broken.
For those who are interested I used Fuji Reala which is a print colour film (C-41) 100 ASA. It was out of date which probably accounts for the graininess and the slightly antique colour cast they have. For some I used a tripod but most were handheld.
© images and content Emily Hughes and searchingtosee, 2012
Sea sculptures
Posted on August 8, 2012
We spent a few days down in Devon on the coast, at my dad’s home. There was a folk festival going on, so it was bustling and lively. The weather was contrary; the sea feisty and capricious. My son and I snuck away from the busyness for a few moments to make sea sculptures on the beach.
He found these shiny pebbles, wet and glistening from the spray.
“Gold, silver, and bronze!” He said.
*This will probably be my last post for a little while. Time for a break. I need to recharge, and renew… see you all at the end of the summer!*
© Emily Hughes and searchingtosee, 2012
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