“Garden By The Sea”

In truth, it was a busman's holiday. I went with just one thing in mind, and that was painting landscapes every day. Despite very changeable weather, I was able to do exactly that.

The sketch for this painting was made while looking out of the holiday cottage window. It was the end of a day filled with especially disappointing weather, that had suddenly brightened last minute (as they do!).

Pocket rockets, and a wag or two

Watching the many House Martins feeding on midges in the late afternoons had been a delight all week. After their prey had been grounded by wind that day, the Martins making up for when it suddenly calmed and a blue-blue sky broke out. Their energy and skill was a thing to behold.

While the Martins flitted at lightning speed above, Wagtails patrolled the garden below, dipping their tails as is their want. They calmly paced the grass, bobbing up suddenly to catch their low flying or rising lunch.

After a few moments taking in the scene, I was inspired to make a sketch.

It's a landscape with a bold simple composition. Paintings with simple designs can all too easily look static.

It was all the feathered action, including seagulls in the distance (mostly around passing boats), that brought this landscape alive. It was a composition with all the ingredients that create delight, so I had to get it captured before it passed.

The art of opposites

Even though the Martin's activity could be described as frenzied, the scene is calm because the garden is simple. It's a practical space that doesn't distract from the ocean view beyond the gate.

So this was an idea for a painting that had it all. I loved the simplicity and tranquility, yet buzzing activity wrapped up in one.

Art that has opposites in it regardless of how that's achieved often appeals to me. So this idea was the first one from the trip I worked on back in the studio.

Sketches made on location serve as a memory jogger. They're a record of shape, colour, tone and scenic details – the priority is how it looks when making art outdoors. The thing sketches do best though, is act as a reminder of how it all felt to be there. It's back in the studio where how a place felt becomes as important as how it looked.