The river of life

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.

Currently on display at Port Navas Yacht Club.

"The river of life" is inspired by the imminent arrival of Spring and that great sense of new life on a sunny day where everything is sparkling and alive. I am building up layers to create textures of water, light and the river mud and how they bounce off each other to create a great sense of energy. The scene is of Scott's Quay, a quiet creek on the Helford River where low tide brings some beautiful curves in the mud left by the tidal streams.

I am noticing a couple of new themes developing. The arcs and shapes of tides, either as waves on the beach or the lines left by the receding water. I find these very soothing to look at, marking the inevitable passage of time, a constant element in every day.

I am also playing with the different luminosities and hues of water at different states, times of day, year and depths, and the effects of light on it. Seeing water in the landscape has always lifted my spirits from when I was a child and you would eagerly await that first glimpse of sea when arriving on holiday. Even living by the sea now and seeing it every day I still get that burst of exhilaration. The way water seems so alive, how it glows and wraps itself around objects is something I love to paint.