Sand Sea and Sky


The sea arose in my consciousness when I was
four years old and living at the coast with my parents.
I played with other children on the beach. 

We dug channels and trenches for the sea to invade 
the sand with its swirling, bubbling, foam. 

We drew in the sand and built ‘pot-pie’ castles.
We screamed with excitement as we jumped 
over the waves. 

 We explored rock pools with our parents and 
collected treasures in buckets.
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'Winter Over Cullercoats Bay'
Pastel
68cm x 33cm


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'Seagulls Call'
Pastel
40cm x 28cm		 'Summer Morning Over Cullercoats Bay'
Pastel
68cm x 33cm

One day, while playing Hide and Seek I got lost among some big rocks. Suddenly I was alone and frightened with only the waves and seagulls nearby. Since then I have returned to living near the sea and still sense its powerful relationship with the land and ourselves.

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'Saint Abb's Harbour'
Acrylic & Pastel
28cm x 40cm		 'Moon Over Longsands Bay'
Pastel
42cm x 68cm		 'Lobster Pots at Saint Abb's Bay'
Pastel
28cm x 40cm


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'Breeze Over Longsands 1'
Pastel
68cm x 32cm		 'Evening Over Longsands'
Pastel
50cm x 38cm

My paintings of the Northumbrian coastline are created in acrylic or oil paint and sometimes combined with pastel. The images recall sensations experienced while walking the shoreline. They tell of the physical walk; the rush of sea air; the warmth of sunlight; the sea tide rushing in and rising and falling in a roaring foamy spread. This is the airiness created by water and wind.
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'Summer Morning'
Pastel
68cm x 32cm		 'Stormy Shore'
Pastel
50cm x 38cm

Into this airiness I seek to capture effects of light at different times of day or season. In doing this I release feelings of joy, pleasure, or sheer drama from my many memories.

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'Breeze Over Longsands 2'
Pastel
40cm x 30cm		 'Longsands Bay'
Pastel
68cm x 32cm