wave in the west

oil on canvas, 64ins x 28ins, 1620mm x 710mm

As a child in South Staffordshire the sea was in the West, through the Welsh mountains. It felt a long way away, a place visited on holidays and in imagination. When you arrive on the Welsh coast after that journey the sea is both an end and a beginning. I still feel this.

making the painting :

on the beach : In autumn 2009 I stayed in a caravan near Tanybwlch beach, a steep stony beach in central Wales. South Westerly storm winds and a high tide lifted the waves above eye level.

two outdoor studies: the top panel above shows colours of the wave seen against the grey sky, the panel below has colours seen against the much brighter surf.

This means the bottom of the wave is seen with eyes adjusted to a brighter light than when seeing the top of the wave.

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