30 July 2014

the falling tide








































'the falling tide' is a collection of work, which celebrates my relationship to the sea and shore. particularly inspired by swimming and beachcombing, i seek to capture my emotional response to this part of my life. i use natural pigments, some of which are collected locally and ground down into a fine dust, on boards layered with gesso and edged in reclaimed lead. 

i collect objects imbued with sea-worn beauty: sun-bleached and fragile, their stories untold. i love both the element of discovery and fine details of these finds: the subtlest colours, tiny patterns, fragmented shapes, textures and rhythms. i strive to convey this visual language within my paintings with sensitivity. for me, this is the poetry of the sea.

these same patterns and rhythms are echoed on a larger scale. as the moon pulls the tide every scattered strand line embodies the passing of time. that which lies hidden beneath the salt water is revealed. the boundaries between land and sea constantly shift.

this work is about discovery and exposure, transition and change, cycles and connections; and it's about finding the space for stillness within this movement and change. it's about facing things, finding the courage to be still, to listen to oneself and reflect. i believe it's important to be curious and to explore, to leave no words unspoken, no stone unturned, but to do so with the lightest of touch.


"i'll call you, and we'll light a fire, and drink some wine and recognise each other in the place that is ours. don't wait. don't tell the story later.

life is so short. this stretch of sea and sand, this walk on the shore, before the tide covers everything we have done."

(jeanette winterson - 'lighthouse keeping')