I started early - took my dog

This painting has been selected for the Imagine Falmouth 2024 exhibition at The Falmouth Art Gallery, open from 12 October to 18 January 2025 and will be available to purchase through the gallery for the duration of the show.

Painted on Arches Huile paper, protected with a clear wax coat, mounted on board and framed with a St Ives tray frame in white wood which measures 8cm.

The inspiration for this was one amazing morning in Coverack. A lone dog walker on the beach sauntered along the outgoing tideline, her dog bounding enthusiastically ahead with that unbridled joy of a dog on a beach. Everything about this scene spoke of the joy of being alive. The light, the intricate patterns in the wet sand, the curve of the dog’s tail, the oneness of dog and owner in their own little world. I wanted to create that feeling of being immersed in light and reflections, almost a meditative scene. This is how I feel when I walk my own dog and never want the moment to end.

The title of the painting is a well known poem by Emily Dickinson, describing a walk by the sea.