Sally West’s Beach Studies

Sydney-based artist Sally West creates oil paintings with interesting textural surfaces, using a technique of thick impasto brushstrokes. Her recent ‘Beach Studies’ depict the seascapes of Sydney and rural Australian landscapes of central New South Wales where she grew up. Many of her works have been inspired by the Freshwater Beach, a popular location for surfers. In order to find suitable subjects for her series, West located a particular position high up on a rock platform, giving her the perfect aerial perspective to paint the beach while overlooking surfers and swimmers. Over the past few summers, West has been working on an entire series of artworks based on this spectacular view. The artist finds joy in creating a direct response to a moment in time, and fully immerses herself into the landscape by painting en plein air.

All images © Sally West
This article was edited by Brit Seaton