Patsy McArthur, The Magic Cove, Charcoal Drawing, 2019

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The magic cove charcoal on paper artwork: 30 x 40 inches / 76 x 102 cm unframed can be framed … Read more The magic cove charcoal on paper artwork: 30 x 40 inches / 76 x 102 cm unframed can be framed at an extra cost. This contemporary figurative charcoal drawing depicts swimmers suspended beneath the water’s surface, created through layered tonal transitions, soft erasure techniques, and expressive atmospheric shading. The artist employs chiaroscuro and subtle textural shifts to evoke the sensation of depth, movement, and refracted light. The magic cove immerses the viewer in an ethereal underwater realm, where the human figure drifts between light and shadow, breath and silence. Executed entirely in charcoal, the work embraces tonal subtlety, using soft, clouded transitions to evoke the sensation of being enveloped by water. The figures seem suspended in a state of timelessness, neither fully floating nor falling, held in a dreamlike limbo. Light filters across the surface in delicate gradations, while small bursts of white lend the illusion of air bubbles and refracted light. The water itself feels alive — swirling, folding, and expanding — blurring the boundaries between body and environment. The figures are not portrayed as isolated subjects but as part of the elemental choreography of the sea. This work speaks to memory, escapism, and surrender: the quiet intimacy of submersion and the powerful emotional associations tied to water as both refuge and unknown. Artist statement: "a large charcoal study for a much larger oil, the magic cove was conceived on a trip to kefalonia working with friends who modeled for me in the ionian sea in may when it was not terribly warm! i wanted to make a drawing with a really dynamic composition and it has something fizzy and energetic about it, possibly due to the temperature of the water. I’ve rubbed off the charcoal to create fractals and patches of light with a rag and a rubber." this piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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