Description

Facing the Waves (Sirens Oil Painting) is a figurative painting of a nude woman sitting on a rock in front of a broiling dark ocean. There is a great storm brewing, and we can feel the wind lashing her face. Yet she remains immobile and unperturbed by the chaos around her. In fact, she seems to be relishing the exhilarating power of the ocean. She is facing the waves of destruction or confusion without fear, as though it is the breaking of some restriction or an emotional release. 

This sirens oil painting is part of my ‘Sirens’ figure painting series and was done completely from life and from imagination, without the use of photography. I first drew a study of the pose with charcoal on paper from a live model before starting the painting.

The painting was built up with many subtle transparent glazes and scumbles in the traditional painting method.

The use of premium quality artist oil paints with large pigment particle size allows for more of an impasto effect, where the brushstrokes are clearly visible, adding to the overall expressiveness and energy in the painting.

Click here to read more about the Sirens Oil Paintings

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Damian Osborne

Damian Osborne is a fine artist from Cape Town, South Africa. Taking inspiration from the Old Master traditions, from nature, and from the people around him (especially his wife), he tries to push beyond the mediocre and aim for mastery in his paintings.

Latest posts by Damian Osborne (see all)

• What’s the Point of Creating When No One Cares? - 24th August 2025
• Fantasia No.6 in G minor (The Cockatrice) - 3rd May 2025
• Rebirth: Starting Over as an Artist — Part 1 - 17th April 2025