Beautiful Boats

11 Mar

11/03/21

I’ve always been drawn to things that are weathered and imperfect and have recently been enjoying exploring the boat yard near where I live, to photograph some of the interesting shapes, colours and textures. Some of the boat hulls there are stunningly beautiful and have a real history which draws me in and makes me want to look closer. I can become lost in the layers of paint and rust and find these organic textures, that have developed over time quite mesmerising. Some of the colours are much brighter than the ones I would choose to paint with, but I am wondering whether these might filter through into my own work if my fascination with this place continues.

My new studio also overlooks the Penryn creek and I have found simple boat like shapes and motifs have started to appear in my paintings. This hasn’t been a conscious decision, but I think that seeing these boats daily rocking and moving on the water in front of me, have definitely etched their way into my subconsciousness.