I’m back in the studio at last, making paintings not just teaching others to make paintings. Well, it’s what artists are supposed to do. Not that I don’t enjoy teaching, on the contrary, I find helping other artists very stimulating and rewarding. Plus, it keeps me in practice!

There are exhibitions coming up. The West Norfolk Artists will be holding their Summer Exhibition in September, at the newly restored St Nicholas Chapel, King’s Lynn, and in October I will be showing work in the Garden House Gallery, Cromer along with other members of the Caperac art group.

So, new work is required and I find few things more stimulating of my creativity than exhibitions on the horizon. The painting you see here is one that I just completed today and is part of a series of coastal scenes that I’m working on at the moment. Hopefully you will recognise the iconic view, the Seven Sisters cliffs on the Sussex coast near Beachy Head.

Margaret and I were down that way several years ago and I took some photos and did a sketch or two, but this composition is based on a view I found in an old newspaper photograph. I’ve completely altered the tonal and colour schemes from those in the photo and I made a few changes to the composition too. There should be some cottages in the foreground but I decided to demolish them!

The colour palette used is very minimal, with just Prussian Blue and Burnt Sienna. There is a little Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Yellow in a couple of the mixes, but essentially this is a two colour tonal painting.

I hope you enjoy looking at this latest watercolour. I have more on the production line which I’ll show you soon.