About this artwork

A long cycle out to Middle Beach, Studland, for me. I went down to the beach huts when I saw the kayakers paddling back from Old Harry Rocks. They were coming in very fast, so I had just a short space of time to get all my paints out and be ready. I used a very very soft cream Somerset paper, usually more for printmaking, but beautiful to paint on. I used a hard charcoal pencil that dug into the paper where it was wet. I love the colours, and although you could criticise the layout and execution, I just really like the result. The leader stood there with his oar up for attention, and the teenagers and others zoomed in and no sooner were there, than were leaping out into the thick black rolled up seaweed that the ice-cold knife of a wind was gathering up and decorating the beach with. The paint was all sanded smooth off the steps of the beach hut that I was sitting on, and if I had stayed much longer, I would have probably gone the same way. It was a breathless few minutes, but very happy ones. This is on display in my solo show at The Forest Arts Centre, New Milton until 22 Dec 2017.