Bristol cathedral college Green en plein air original artwork by Chris Shopland acrylic on 18 x 24 inch canvas
Bristol Cathedral is an original acrylic painting on an 18 × 24 inch canvas, created almost entirely on location en plein air - in the open air. The work required only around 20 minutes of studio refinement before I decided it was in fact complete from location already. it has been popular with lots of amazing feedback already. painted with Bristol plein air painters, where us usual remit artist meet socially once a month to paint, share our work and have a coffee ora pint (I no longer drink, been nearly 10 years, so pub is very much coffee or soft drink.)
Rather than portraying Bristol Cathedral in its entirety, I focused on the architectural sections that captured my interest most, deliberately leaving the central middle section mostly absent to create a more abstract and personal composition, fighting with the many details of this amazing designed building, architectural feat. The painting is less about documenting the cathedral as it objectively appears in the physical reality and more about capturing the experience and feeling of being there.
As I painted, I found myself surrounded by pigeons. One depicted in the empty space that needed something within the composition, giving me just enough time to loosely block in its head and eyes before the entire flock it flew away. pigeons from there on observed from a distance, became part of the painting, making up the whole pigeon, adding movement and a sense of the fleeting nature of the moment.
Painted with bold, expressive brushstrokes, this large canvas balances abstraction with recognisable architectural forms. From afar, the cathedral emerges clearly enough with those spires, while closer inspection reveals layers of energetic marks, colour, and texture that continue to unfold the longer you look.
Details
Title: untitled Bristol Cathedral plein air
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 18 × 24 inches (45.7 × 61 cm)
Original Artwork
Bristol cathedral college Green en plein air original artwork by Chris Shopland acrylic on 18 x 24 inch canvas
Bristol Cathedral is an original acrylic painting on an 18 × 24 inch canvas, created almost entirely on location en plein air - in the open air. The work required only around 20 minutes of studio refinement before I decided it was in fact complete from location already. it has been popular with lots of amazing feedback already. painted with Bristol plein air painters, where us usual remit artist meet socially once a month to paint, share our work and have a coffee ora pint (I no longer drink, been nearly 10 years, so pub is very much coffee or soft drink.)
Rather than portraying Bristol Cathedral in its entirety, I focused on the architectural sections that captured my interest most, deliberately leaving the central middle section mostly absent to create a more abstract and personal composition, fighting with the many details of this amazing designed building, architectural feat. The painting is less about documenting the cathedral as it objectively appears in the physical reality and more about capturing the experience and feeling of being there.
As I painted, I found myself surrounded by pigeons. One depicted in the empty space that needed something within the composition, giving me just enough time to loosely block in its head and eyes before the entire flock it flew away. pigeons from there on observed from a distance, became part of the painting, making up the whole pigeon, adding movement and a sense of the fleeting nature of the moment.
Painted with bold, expressive brushstrokes, this large canvas balances abstraction with recognisable architectural forms. From afar, the cathedral emerges clearly enough with those spires, while closer inspection reveals layers of energetic marks, colour, and texture that continue to unfold the longer you look.
Details
Title: untitled Bristol Cathedral plein air
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 18 × 24 inches (45.7 × 61 cm)
Original Artwork
