Cliff House Archives - Salcombe Art

25 March 2019 In Art

Summer in Salcombe – in preview sale on 5 April

In the preview sale on 5 April – FRIDAY! – Summer in Salcombe, one of the latest crop of paintings, will be offered at a discount price to those attending this celebration of the start of another season of art.

142 Walking back to Hope Cove
144 Merlin on the Run
145 Schooner Sunset
146 Merlins Racing past Fishermans
147 Summer in Salcombe
148 All Aboard the East Portlemouth Ferry

Summer in Salcombe

For this painting, I set myself the challenge of capturing the atmosphere of Salcombe in the summer.

I could have chosen any one of a dozen backdrops but Salcombe in Summer has two of my favourite places: Salcombe Yacht Club and The Ferry Inn.

The Salcombe Yacht club occupies half of Cliff House, the red brick building on the left. The Ferry Inn has a prime waterside location and you can see the many umbrellas giving much-needed shade to those quenching their thirst.

From the mass of Salcombe photographs I have collected over the years, I then attempted to capture the busyness that is Salcombe in July and August.

So many boats.
Some moored, some racing.
And a crabber returning with its delectable catch of crab and lobster.

The changing face of Salcombe

It’s always interesting to study the Salcombe town from East Portlemouth, to see the changes in the architecture, but also to enjoy what is still the same. In this painting, I have recorded (for posterity!) how it was on one sunny day in 2018.

For those who own or rent these properties, to purchase such a painting provides a reminder of the wonderful times had in years gone by. If the cost of the original is too much, there is always an affordable art option.

Come to the Preview evening: 6-9pm on Friday 5 April

If you would like an invitation to the Preview evening, please contact me. You will be made very welcome at Beacon House Gallery.

4 March 2019 In Art

Schooner Sunset – in the preview sale on 5 April

In 2018, I attended a talk given by Roger Barrett in the Library at Cliff House. It was one of several presentations Roger gave to promote the launch of his book ‘SALCOMBE Schooner Port’.

I bought a copy – signed by Roger. You can purchase yours at Salcombe Maritime Museum and it is also on sale online, on Amazon.

Roger is an expert in this era and is an excellent speaker. He is also chair of the Salcombe Maritime Museum committee.

Do make a special effort to visit the museum. And not just on rainy days!

The history of Salcombe

The history of the town of Salcombe fascinates me. The port became famous for its beautiful clipper-like schooners, the ‘Salcombe fruiters’.

These ships sailed to the Azores, and elsewhere, picked up cargoes of fruit and then raced homeward to serve the markets of the ports of London, Bristol, Liverpool and Hull before the fruit perished. This was in the days before refrigeration or steam power.

These were beautifully built craft, designed for speed.

The book is a treasure too. It contains 250+ illustrations, including 32 colour reproductions of the paintings of locally built sailing ships in the museum’s collection.

Why did I paint the Salcombe fruiter?

Apart from my passion for all things Salcombe, sailing, the sky, and the sea, the rigging on these ships presents a challenge!

In preparation for this painting, I’ve acquired lots of books, not just Roger’s. I’ve studied many photos and paintings of similar craft, and hours have been spent in conversation with Malcolm Darch, model maker extraordinaire.

In Schooner Sunset, the featured image above, I hope I have captured the glory of these famous ships.

Schooner Sunset – off Hope Cove?

I’ve planted my schooner off Hope Cove knowing full well none of these ships would have passed so close to Bolt Tail.

However, the artist in me wanted the backdrop of a genuine sunset.

And where else can you spend such a spectacular end to the day but on the terrace of the Cottage Hotel?

So, although these schooners are no more, we can enjoy the sunset.

Today, while you are reading this post, Anne and I will in Plymouth, having the latest batch of paintings photographed. From those precious images, I can share the pictures online, produce prints, fine art greetings cards and my other affordable art.

All in time for the Preview evening on 5 April …

Next week, I’ll share the origins of another of my new paintings.

26 November 2018 In Art

Work-in-progress: Oil paintings

I have two oil paintings in progress at the moment. One is a ‘normal’ scene with moored boats and little going on. The other is action-packed.

Oil painting 1: Salcombe Harbour

This first oil painting is a Salcombe Harbour scene taking in Cliff House through to the Ferry Inn as seen from the Venus Cafe on the East Portlemouth side of the estuary.

This is one of my source photos, showing the grid pattern I set up for my composition.

This photo also reveals which craft were present when I took the photo, and which ones made it on to the canvas. Notice that the yacht on the right of the photo is on the left in my painting. Also, notice that I’ve introduced some other smaller craft to my composition, to create balance.

The source photo above is one of many photos I took that day, in changeable weather: some with cloud cover; some with the sun breaking through. I’ve tried to capture sunshine on the scene – and that colouration will have come from my other source photos, not shown here.

In all, for anyone painting, I may have a dozen or more photos to inspire me. I draw from as many of them as necessary to arrive at the composition and my palette of colours.

Oil painting 2: Merlins racing up Salcombe estuary

This is the other work-in-progress oil painting – four Merlins racing up the estuary.

My source photo for this one included a view of the Venus Cafe umbrellas, which I decided were a distraction, as I wanted to focus on the action on the water.

Notice that I changed the relative position of the boats, and eliminated one. My aim was to capture the sense of speed through the water. I maintained the colour of the spinnakers, but only because they worked in this combination.

These two paintings should be completed in time for the 2019 exhibition at Salcombe Art Club and will keep me busy during the dark days of winter.

New card designs

Apart from painting, one of the tasks over the winter is to select new card designs.

Usually, rectangular ones are cropped to create a square. For the Salcombe Harbour image, we might have two cards. Which do you prefer?

27 June 2016 In Art

Thank you!

I painted this image more than five years ago. With all the changes along that side of the estuary, I really ought to start on another.

The original of Salcombe Yacht Club sold very quickly and it’s been popular as a fine art greetings card ever since.

Cards are usually supplied individually, with an envelope, sealed within a cellophane wrap. There is an option to buy in bulk though – unfolded cards with envelopes separately – and I was delighted to fulfill such an order recently.

Many weddings are staged at Cliff House. While the Salcombe Yacht Club occupies the left-hand half of the building, the right-hand side provides space for community activities, wedding fairs, art exhibitions, private parties and – hooray! – weddings.

One recently married couple chose the Salcombe Yacht Club card as a reminder of the majestic building where these newlyweds tied the knot and will be sending this image as a thank-you card to each of their guests.

If you plan to marry at Cliff House, maybe you’d like to bulk-buy this card? We offer favourable rates for all orders of 50 or more cards. For those who don’t normally live in Salcombe, it’s best to book in advance and arrange local collection/delivery to save on postage costs.