Lynmouth Weekend

When I started surfing I thought it might lead me, one day, to Lynmouth. But not like it did last weekend. Mr StevePP organised a little trip for eleven of us to stay in Countisbury and trundle on down to Lynmouth for a bit of painting and drawing. Thanks Steve! Like the Lynmouth hills my weekend had its ups and downs: mucking around with oil based landscape painting is something I haven't done for a long time - and it felt like it. It didn't help to be besieged by professional painters, art teachers and the odd inquisitive tourist.

The way that surfing seems to have knitted together a lot of the tatty parts of my life is amazing. This was a great painty-surfy-social: chatting about surfing, splashing paint about and then splashing the odd pint of Guiness down in the evening – to wash away the artistic angst.

I can't really post this without offering up my rusty oil sketches so here they are:


I also did some quick gouache paintings and some drawings. It was just nice to get out there and have a go at it. All the other more seasoned plein air painters brushed away with a confidence that was terrifying and quickly built up paintings with depth and atmosphere. I was more confident with my photography and drinking. Thanks again Steve and everyone else who was there...