sailor Archives - Salcombe Art

25 February 2019 In Art

Merlins Crossing the Bar: in the Preview Sale on 5 April

Merlins Crossing the Bar (the featured image above) is the first of several paintings due to be on show at the 2019 Summer Exhibition of the Salcombe Art Club. It is currently on display at Beacon House Gallery and priced at £750.

Preview Evening – 5 April

On 5 April, the day before handing-in day, there will be a Preview Evening at Beacon House Gallery and this painting, and the others will be on sale at a discounted price for those attending the event. More news on that on Monday 1 April. (And no, it won’t be an April Fools’ post.)

The Preview Evening will be an invitation-only event – for those who’ve attended before, have bought one of my paintings, or other more affordable art – but contact me if you don’t receive an invitation and would like to come.

Merlins Crossing the Bar

This is yet another oil inspired by the wonderful Merlin sailors who love to race in our beautiful estuary with all its challenges. The spinnakers are not just difficult to paint but, in reality, need very good sailors to fly these.

I remember that as a skill I once had in Fireballs, many many years ago. Now my sailing days are over, I’m content to capture the joy and the challenge, through my painting.

From oil painting to a fine art greetings card

Many of my originals are also available as a fine art greetings card. For this particular composition, part of the image had to be cropped to create the required square shape for the card. If you compare this image with the featured image above, you’ll notice the Merlin with the pink spinnaker didn’t make it onto the card version.

Merlins Crossing the Bar

It still works as an image though, and I’m sure it will be as popular as other cards featuring Merlins.

Merlins Crossing the Bar cropped for card

ADVANCE NEWS! Merlin Rocket Week 2-13 July

Last year, I was ‘artist in residence’ during Merlin Rocket week: 8-13 July. It was not a success in that the weather was so hot, too hot, and the paint was drying on my brush before I could get it only a canvas. So, I abandoned painting and spent the week photographing Merlins and enjoying the event.

This year, I am taking part in a Pop-up Sale on Thursday, 11 July. As well as original paintings of Merlins, I will have on sale my full range of fine art greetings cards, and the new affordable art items: wooden placemats and coasters, glass coasters and chopping boards, key rings, fridge magnets, purses, and cushions!

13 March 2017 In Art

Salcombe Art Club Exhibition preview: Blackstone

Blackstone – the featured painting above – is another of five I plan to submit for consideration of the Hanging Committee of Salcombe Art Club, hoping they will be accepted for the 2017 Salcombe Art Club Exhibition which opens on Thursday 13 April.

On this blog, I’ll post a preview of each of the five paintings, over the next few weeks. If you decide you want to purchase one of them, be quick. The prices go up in April!

What inspired me to paint Blackstone?

Imagine: Dad has rigged the Mirror (or whatever small craft he has towed down to Salcombe). You can see it, set against the backdrop of cliffs, in wind and tide, navigating safely past a beastly reef we call Blackstone.

What were the challenges?

The challenge here, for me as an artist, rather than me as a sailor, was to capture the sheer scale of the sea on the horizon, and the cliffs, with the brave dinghy in the foreground. I wanted to create the atmosphere of adventure since the daunting rocks spell danger for any small craft exploring the estuary. But also, I wanted to spell out the delight as the sails fill.

Capturing all this in one painting is a challenge in itself.

Add to this the fact that acrylic tones tend to darken as they dry. However, this proved fortuitous for me – it served to emphasize the solid damp cliffs.

I enjoyed the challenge of the composition so much, I produced a second Blackstone painting: Racing Past Blackstone. This one is a watercolour.

Affordable Art

Both Blackstone images are available as a fine art greetings card. The range is now 59 strong, and on sale at Malborough Post Office.

Just think: for less than 1% of the sales price of an original painting, you can invest in a fine art greetings card. Send it to a friend or frame it for yourself. Whistlefish sell frames that fit … about £10 each.