Warwick Beecham: The Hedonistic Lifestyle in Australia's Sunny Climate

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Contemporary artist of the Australian lifestyle, in 1993 Warwick Beecham (born 1947, Melbourne, Australia) realised a lifelong ambition and switched from an executive accounting career at Warner Roadshow Movie World Studios to full time painting. After studying with one of Australia's foremost painters, Robert Lovett, he was ready in 1996 to mount his first exhibition, which quickly sold out. Warwick's subjects cover a wide range: landscapes, seascapes, still life - but especially figure work. His paintings present the male form relaxing on and around Sydney's famous beaches, a reflection of the hedonistic lifestyle in Australia's sunny climate. Inspired by his childhood at the seaside town of Torquay, Victoria, his collection draws on his early observations of the moods of sea, surf and beach culture.




Summer Encounter, Oil Painting


Dozing, Oil Painting


Abandon, Oil Painting


Summer Dalliance, Oil Painting


Windsurfer, Oil Painting


The Pink Towel, Oil Painting


In the Shallows, Oil Painting


Cooling Off, Oil Painting


At the Deep End, Oil painting

"I interpret the beauty of the male figure in oil paint, becuase for me it is the most striking medium. It also enhances my brushwork, which tends to be strong and thick, and then complements my choice of colours.

Previously, both the colour and tone of my work was more realistic, but for this exhibition I'm now working with a warmer palette. This has permitted a freer interpretation of the subject matter, especially in the paintings of torsos and genitals, which are faceless and without personality.

For me, these are abstracts, and I create them with intense sweeps of the brush. And it's that very brushwork with its manipulation of paint and colour that excites me, such that the subject becomes secondary, almost incidental - until I step back to take a wider view. This switch of lighting technique permits me to convey a certain softness of personality in the figure.

Chiaroscuro, the effect of light and shadow, is another consideration when painting figurework. This is the inspiration for "Dozing" and "At the Deep End". Whereas for "Innocence", with the naked figure gently removing his Speedos, I emphasise the shadows of the sand dunes in relief, rather than those of the figure itself."

https://adonisartgallery.3dcartstores.com/Warwick-Beecham_c_43-1.html

More Artists at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Art

Comments

Surf Boat Illustrations

[ozambersand.livejournal.com]

Hi Elise
Good to see you've got a visual of something I describe in my book "Mardi Gras"!
Moments later, five tall, strong men carried a long wooden boat down to the water. As soon as they launched it, four of them pulled their brief swim trunks up into their butt-cracks, bent over and pushed their craft into deeper water before vaulting
into their allotted places on the wooden planks that served as seats. With practiced precision, each man grasped a long oar threaded through rowlocks on alternate sides and started heaving in unison. At the back of the boat, the fifth member stood with his legs braced to cope with the sudden shifts of motion, one hand on the gunwale and the other on the long oar trailing out the back as a sweeping rudder.
Spray splashed over the edge, soaking boat and men as they rowed through the shore break. The man at the back yelled "Pull" as the boat surged and seemed to hang in the air for a few seconds as they crested a wave then landed with a crash on the other side, sending more spray into the air. The men picked up the pace as they strove to get the boat to the next wave before it broke. Raw power and aggression. The man at the back, a bronzed Adonis, his arm and leg muscles bulging as he strained to hold himself and the boat steady.
"Why do they wear their swimmers like that?" I asked.
Simon glanced at the surf-boat and shrugged. "So their bum doesn't get rubbed by the cossie, I expect."
I watched for a few moments as the surf boat made it safely beyond the break then turned and headed parallel to the shore. "Well, I don't know about you, but the sight of well-built males with bare asses bending over is always a turn on for me."
Simon snorted. "Show ponies, a lot of them . . . only interested in taking part in surf carnivals." He pointed to a small group, a mix of young and old, male and female, clad in long-sleeved bright yellow shirts, red baggy shorts and floppy red hats. "They're the real deal. Weekend volunteers who are here to rescue people."
Alison (writing as A.B.Gayle)

Re: Surf Boat Illustrations

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

LOL Indeed it's perfect!