A Special Commission

I’d like to share a very special commission which I’ve just finished.

Last year I was contacted by a client who lives in Cheshire but who loves Northumberland so much that he has a second home at Beadnell. He has many happy memories of holidays spent along the coast with friends and family, and among his favourite places are Seahouses and Beadnell Bay. He asked me for two large paintings, and visited my studio in April to tell me about his family (including his two boisterous dogs which drag him through the dunes each morning), show me the photos he’d taken and talk through his ideas. This is the story of Seahouses.

We began with Seahouses. I know Seahouses but it always helps to go for a proper walk around and take photos, make notes etc. I’d never been in the Olde Ship Inn before and so I learned something new, and got to have fish and chips from the Neptune. We also saw the RNLI Lifeboat being launched which was actually quite exciting.

Pencil drawing

I was provided with a detailed list of elements to include, so it wasn’t difficult to replicate the hustle and bustle of the harbour. The trick was fitting everything in! Once I was happy with the pencil drawing I sent a photo for his approval and we made a couple of changes, including the addition of two other important family members…

Ink drawing

Once the ink was on I sent another photo and then it was time for the paints to come out. This is my favourite bit. I began with the sea, and then dotted around as usual. Surprisingly the most difficult bits can be the most innocuous. This time I became obsessed with the colour of the path in the foreground. It needed to be darker than the path along to the lighthouse. Generally I like my foregrounds to be deeper in tone as this helps add a sense of depth. But it has to be just right. Sometimes I have areas of black and I tried this, but it didn’t work. So it took a few attempts but in the end I got the balance right. Then there were lots of colourful boats and buildings to have fun with.

Finished painting

So here’s the final painting. Fishing boats, the RNLI lifeboat, puffins, seals, cuddy ducks, fish and chips, the Farnes, Bamburgh Castle, Holy Island and the Olde Ship Inn - it’s all there, even the crabber which is the white boat in the top photo. And if you look carefully you might spot an extra boat (a diving dingy) and a couple of porpoises. One of the benefits of using collage is I can add extra bits if necessary. Another photo sent for approval and everyone was happy,

The thought and care which went into commissioning this painting and the subsequent collaboration we had meant that it was a real pleasure to work on. I know that my client and his family will remember the many happy times they spent in Seahouses every time they look at it.

Seahouses in situ

I enjoyed this so much that I painted another, smaller version which is now available as an original and on a print from my website.

Thanks for reading!