The Tranquil Glory of the Cliffs - Werribee South

The Cliffs at Werribee South have featured in some of my Werribee River artworks but never on full show as they appear in this oil painting. When commissioned by a local church to paint a scene showing the Werribee River for their retiring pastor, I provided the relevant committee with several photographs I had taken of the area to choose from. The scene of the cliffs, as seen in this artwork, was chosen. Two members of the committee visted my home and viewed a number of my artworks on display. They liked the vibrancy of the oils and the way I pushed the colour a bit further than could be seen in the source photographs. With a clear direction, I ordered an Italian-made stretched linen canvas that had seven layers of gesso applied to give a very smooth finish. As I began to lay down the various colours, I played around with contrasting pure, bright colours against more natural, mixed ones. A pink against green took on a slight orange hue when viewed from a distance. I kept a looser, more impressionistic approach with the brushstrokes in some areas to avoid making the scene too busy and fussy. The final result is a bright, fresh and summery view of the iconic cliffs that has an air of tranquility about it with the calm water and still, mostly clear sky.