Porth Moina

Porth Moina, oil on canvas, 100 x 73 cm

Porth Moina is in Penwith, Cornwall, on the north coast (and on the southwest coast path) . Porth means "cove" and Moina probably means "mines" in this context.

Kimmeridge

Kimmeridge Bay in Purbeck, Dorset is all about the rocks. It lies on the Jurrassic Coast and is a favoured destination for fossil-hunters as well as rock-pool afficianados and snorkellers. It has clear, calm water and a folly on the headland - Clavell Tower, which in 2006-8 was moved away from the crumbling cliff. 

So, of course, my painting is all about the rocks. The flat rocks in the centre dominate the image. I spent most of my time on their colours, curves and cracks, their attendant pools and the wet reflections of the summer sun, but it was the seaweed that worried me most. It was a curious colour - a bright mix of yellow, green, red and orange - and it was underwater, right in the foreground. How could I indicate that with my knife, a blunt painting instrument if ever there was one? In the end, it was all a matter of observation and approximation, as is often the case, and allowing the viewer's visual cortex to fill in the gaps.

Kimmeridge 

Oil on linen canvas, 50 x 70 cm

£400

Windsurf - SOLD

When we were in Cornwall over the New Year, I visited Gwithian (from which Godrevy Light can be seen), and took lots and lots of photographs. There was a windsurfer - a very skillful fellow - out on the sea and I managed to get a few shots of him in action.

Sunsetting (over Penlee Point)

The sun was setting when we were at Long Rock in December 2013. This is an interpretation of one of my photographs looking towards Penlee Point (near Mousehole).

A Bit Like Portreath

This 5x7 inch canvas was painted with two wintery photgraphs of Portreath, Cornwall, in front of me, but is only loosely based on them.

Oil on canvas, 5 x 7"

Godrevy Summer 2009 - SOLD

A Godrevyscape with sunshine! Unlike the other Godrevy paintings, this isn't based on a photograph from New Year's Day. It was sunny when I took the photographs (on 35mm film) that this painting was based on - and getting towards the end of the day, as is evident from the pink tinge to the clouds. It must have been quite warm, still, because the people on the rocks are wearing swimming costumes. 

Oil on canvas, 20 x 16"
15 December 2012

SOLD

Godrevy 5

Photograph under artificial light

Photograph in late afternoon light

A bit more of Gwithian beach, a bit more of Godrevy Point - and the lighthouse can still be seen beyond the point. This is another painting based on my photographs from New Year's day 2012; you may be glad to hear that I've located some other photographs (from the summer of 2009) that may form the basis of my next Godrevyscape.

Godrevy 4

I went back to my photographs again for this commissioned fourth version of the popular seascape off Gwithian beach, with a view of Godrevy lighthouse.

Oil on canvas, 41 x 33 cm
SOLD (with a frame on order from Moonshine)
07/12/12

Dinghies @ Gillan - SOLD

Location: Gillan Creek, Helford River, Cornwall

I like the idea of boats better than the reality of (being in) them. The photograph that this painting was based on was taken on the same day that I painted "From the Herra" en plein air in oils. The painting was made on Friday; it was the first time for a while that I have tried to make a whole knife painting in acrylics (rather than adding foreground detail to a brushed background) - although I did sign it with a brush.

I was expecting to be able to make cleaner contrasts more easily - which is one of the reasons that I chose this image - and it was, indeed, so. I think it worked fairly well. My next experiment with knives and acrylics will be to attempt a subject more similar to the ones that I favour in oils.

Acrylic on canvas, 41 x 33 cm
30 November 2012
SOLD