Pebble and Seaweed 1987

Allin Braund's 'Pebble and Seaweed' is an oil painting, and it feels like Braund was really in it, up to his elbows in the act of painting. The dominant colours are these muted greens and greys, and the brushstrokes? Well, they're everywhere, suggesting the movement of water and the stillness of stone. I imagine Braund outdoors, squinting, trying to capture the essence of the coast. The surface looks buttery, with thin layers built up over time. Look closely at the way he’s rendered the seaweed—it’s not about perfect representation, but more about conveying the feeling of organic matter clinging to the rocks. There is an understated quality about the painting which is very British and reminds me of Prunella Clough and her paintings of the coast. I like to think of these artists having a dialogue with one another, trying to make sense of the world through paint. In this way the canvas becomes a site of inquiry, a place where Braund can explore his relationship to the landscape and to the process of painting itself.