Seascape art is one of the many types of visual art form where the artist basically paints a scenery that involve the sea. Winslow Homer’s 1904 painting of ‘Summer Squall’ is one fine example of seascape paintings. This visual art form usually involves not only paintings but also photographs and other types of art form where they encircle around the seas and waters. It is also sometimes referred to as marine art although seascape art is the more popular term used and is considered to be more appropriate.
Generally, seascape art is scenery of the waters very much like the aesthetically pleasing shots that one sees when walking around the beach during sunset or sunrise. However, the main focal point of such art work is on the waters. The concept of seascape paintings is how the artist expresses the ‘behaviour’ of the water through the painting or the photograph. It is often said that among some of the hardest elements to paint is the waters as they are not stagnant, unlike still life and landscapes. The artist needs to be able to capture the current moment of the waters in order to enshrine it into the painting although much are sometimes left to the creativity and imagination.
Seascape paintings are common and are one of the body of work which have been adopted by artists who are usually involved in landscape and its related areas. This is because while one can always paint landscapes, other sceneries would always be welcomed. Colin Perini is one of the popular seascape artists who focus on these sceneries. His works are said to be influenced through his inspiration that the sea is always changing and this means that the beauty of the waters follow suit. His works not only paints the seas but also depicts the mood of the scenery as and when he paints them.
Basically, seascape artists adopt standard material and media where the most common used are oil and watercolour because they allow for the painting of shading and lighting, which are very important elements in these works. These are also the same media that are commonly used by artists who are in the landscape and cityscape areas.
Malaysian artists are known to be impeccable seascape artists due to the rich natural attractions of the seaside and coastal areas of the country. Zainal Abidin Musa, in his painting ‘Waiting for Sunrise Over Telok Kalong’ depicts a dreamy and yet realistic snapshot of the seas which he does so excellently through his brush strokes. The multiple combination of colours and the shadowy integration of the sea and the skies is well demonstrated in this painting that displays why seascapes can be highly expressive and mesmerizing in nature. Zainal Abidin has been involved in this type of art work for many years where although he is not a full-time seascape artist, his works that depicts the waters and the seas have been exemplary and highly respected among other artists in the Malaysian art scene.
