Sketchbook Notes: Burgh Island

Burgh Island is a popular attraction to visitors and, especially, artists.

I have painted the hotel many times!

The iconic Art Deco Hotel dominates Burgh Island. It was owned and managed for many years by Tony Porter and his wife Beatrice. Tony called it the Great White Palace and it has featured in many films and television dramas based on Agatha Christie novels.

Shifting Sands at Burgh Island I is an acrylic painting. In the sky, I included a vapour trail to remind me of a recent flight from Gatwick to Malta. For some reason, the pilot chose to go west before turning south. Seeing this spectacular coastline from the air was a magical experience.

Shifting Sands at Burgh Island I draws particular attention to the dramatic cliffs. Also clear in this image is that the Island is set apart from the mainland by a strip of sand, only visible at low tide. When the sea is in full tide, the sea tractor ferries the visitors to and fro and there is a continuous clamour of sound from waves and gulls.

The beach provides a lovely walk or, better, a paddle in the cool water of spent surf. Paddling at Burgh Island, another acrylic painting, captures the joy of such a stroll by my wife, Anne, and her friend, Sheila. I recall we made our way across to the island and enjoyed a beverage in the pub, The Pilchard Inn.

My most recent painting of the hotel is in oil.  The Burgh Island Hotel, featured far above, will be on display at the Loft Gallery, Salcombe, in the exhibition to showcase the work of students of Ian Carr’s oil classes. The two-week exhibition opens on Saturday 23 July.

Most artists prefer the view as seen from Bigbury but I have attempted to capture the subject as seen from Hope Cove. The massive cliffs of the mainland give a dramatic backdrop, while the rocks in the foreground underline its isolation. And, the late afternoon sun turns the Great White Palace into a glorious white beacon.

AFFORDABLE ART

All three images are available as a fine art greetings card, and you may purchase them at Bonningtons (the newsagents) and Salcombe Information Centre (both a short walk from the Loft Studio). Further afield, my cards are stocked by Malborough Post Office, The Gallery Project at Avon Mill and at Noss Mayo, and in Bloomers, the florist in Kingsbridge.

THE SKETCHBOOK NOTES SERIES

This is one of the Sketchbook Notes, a series of posts explaining what inspired me to produce a particular painting.

If you own one of my paintings, or are just curious about an image, let me know; I’ll then write a blog post especially for you!