Beach Paradise

 After the coldest night of the winter so far, we weren’t so sure about heading for the beach, but once the sun came round it was glorious.  With low sun shimmering on the surf, we scoured the tideline for driftwood and rope to make some christmas decorations.

The beauty of being on the beach this time of year, is that you are often on your own.  The rough seas of late have washed up a lot of debris, both from the sea and washed down the rivers.

The other reason for going to the beach was to finish kitting out the bijou beachhut we have rented for three months.  Just for the winter, it was cheap enough to have and risk the weather, but we are thinking we will be using it a lot.  Cosy isn’t the word. After a quick lick of paint and brush up, I hit the charity shops to find old throws and curtains to add some colour into it.  Lots of warm cosy winter colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beach hut is going to become the perfect studio after Christmas. I can keep out of the wind and paint the sea. Lovely!

In the meantime, we are thinking it will be lovely for some lunches, breakfast and mulled wine get togethers.  So the beach isn’t just for Summer after all.

 

Colours of Winter

I have framed the first of my paintings for the forthcoming exhibition, so here is a sneak preview.

The unseasonally warm sunshine has pulled the landscape out of winter and truly into spring and summer.  Leaves are on the trees, the gorse is in flower and everything looks fresh and lovely.

But…. I love the colours of Winter.  If you truly look at your landscape, far more colour is there to be seen than you think.  The low sun softens the shadows and reflected light warms the greys. The sea in winter can be very grey, but on a sunny day warms to cerulean, one of my favourite blues.

The gorse in contrast has no flower and some no leaf either as it has been battered by the Atlantic winds.  It is a tangled mass of grey and brown which in the sunlight give an overall pinky purply hue.