Category Beaches.

A LOOK BACK AT MY 2022

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A selection of some of the paintings I’ve completed in 2022, the year started out with a Bideford Black and ended with a large composition called Secluded Stream. I’ve had the great pleasure of twice visiting the Lizard in Cornwall this year and searched for sea glass with my wife along the North Devon Coast. During the year I was invited by a friend of mine, Adrian Beasley, to join again with the Black Arts for a residential course and worked with clients using the Bideford Black pigment at the Northam Visitors Centre. Having not exhibited for quite a while I ended year at the Burton Gallery, I’m now taking a slight break to plan my 2023 campaign. Al

SECLUDED STREAM

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A return to an old favourite of mine and perhaps the final painting of 2022. The old linhay on the Marsh in Braunton. Acrylic on canvas 30 x 40″. A sketch of this scene was made during one of my cycle rides along the Tarka Trail, around the Braunton Marsh and down the old American Road to Crow Point. I was quite taken by the neon cold light this particular morning and sat in the reeds watching the sticklebacks and swans.

A RETURN TO THE LIZARD

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A return to Mullion Cove for my birthday. A great four days sketching and taking photographs for future compositions. My wife and I visited Kynance Cove and the light at this time of year was quite stunning. Cadgewith Cove was also visited and my wife searched for sea glass whilst I sketched a few of the boats. This was continued with Seafood Chowder at the Cadgewith Inn.
Other sites to see were Coverack Harbour where sea glass was found, when the rain did finally make an appearance we continued on to the Lizard Point where the sun made an appearance again. Overall we were very lucky with the weather as you can see from some of my photographs. Al

COMBESGATE

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A painting of Combesgate Beach in North Devon. Acrylic on canvas 810 x 390mm, that’s 32 x 15 1/4″ in old money. Combesgate Beach is special stretch of sand just around the rocks from Barricane Beach near Woolacombe. When the tide is in not much of the beach can be seen, but at low tide, the golden sand, rock formations and views out to sea and Morte Point are breath taking. In the middle of this picture is The Watersmeet Hotel and dotted along the ridge are houses overlooking the view, I also like to surf the wave here on my longboard and it is known a little as ‘an old man’s break’.

SANDY COVE

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Acrylic on 610 x 390mm canvas of Sandy Cove in North Devon. This secluded and somewhat idyllic beach is just around the coast from Lee Bay. When the tide is out you can walk to this beach via The Smugglers Walk, a meandering pathway through the rocks and cliffs which eventually brings you to this place. Quite often this beach is very quiet and a perfect place to hunt for sea glass, look through the rock pools or have a relaxing picnic. It is now becoming popular for sea swimming too!

BOTTLE STOPPERS AT HELE BAY

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It seems that a return to glass hunting on Hele Beach was in order today and although the tide was fully in we thought it possible to search the sands whilst the tide ebbed. We arrived, parked in the fee carpark and walked onto the beach, the tide was dropping quickly revealing shining wet stones and glass. It’s quite odd how searching in one direction you see no glass yet you can turn around and see everything, we believe it’s all in the angle of the reflective light and the wetness of the glass. You also have to crouch down quite close to the sand as sea glass fully reveals itself to only those who search intimately.
Today we found two bottle stoppers which are quite rare and some equally illusive blue glass. We managed to fill two small bags with our endeavours all the more with which my wife can continue to make her jewellery.

COMBESGATE BEACH

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A quiet day at Combesgate Beach near Woolacombe in North Devon. With most of the summer visitors gone the beaches have now finally been reclaimed by the locals. We spent the day sitting in the sunshine on Barricane Beach drinking mugs of tea from the beach hut owned by the now locally famous Sri Lankan chef who supplies curries on summer evenings. In a week this curry house will be craned off the beach and stored marking the start of the approaching winter season.
Of course sea glass was found at Barricane but not so much at Combesgate around the corner although the rock formations there were outstanding. It’s on days like these, when you have the beach to yourself, you appreciate living in such a part of world.

LEE BAY

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Well on a surprisingly sunny Sunday for October Donna and I decided to return to Lee Bay for a little more sea glass hunting. It was quite busy for this time of year but on our secret beach all was well. We spent a couple of hours strolling up and down picking sparkling sea glass out of the warm sand, so once our bags were full we decided to go to The Grampus and have some beer and cheesy chips.

GLASSY BARRICANE

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We spent a memorable day looking for sea glass on Barricane Beach, my wife and I paddled in the warm, crystal clear water of an Autumn’s incoming tide. The Sri Lankan café was luckily still open but sadly had only a few days to go until they crane the hut off the beach; for me this marks the end of the warm summer season. Donna and I drank hot mugs of tea whilst basking in the neon bright Autumn sunshine. Most of the noisy tourists have now gone only retired couples, grandparents with children and intrepid cold water swimmers remain! Perfect!