Swirl of the tide, Porth Sawsen

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.

This is another stunning swimming cove on the Helford River. It’s the next main cove along from Grebe, and is also framed by beautiful tree lined headlands. I wanted to capture the pink light on the swirling tidal patterns, with the slightly moody sky and headland in the distance. I’ve started using rigger brushes, which are like the type old-fashioned sign writers would use to get straight lines. I’ve found that they allow me to inject lines back over my grunge layers and add drawing back into the painting. I really love this piece, it balances the sense of place with the mood and graphic quality of the light patterns.