‘That winding streamlet, limpid, lingering slow,
where the reeds whisper when the zephyrs blow;
with ceaseless motion comes & goes the tide,
flowing, it fills the channel vast & wide;
then back to sea, with strong majestic sweep,
it rolls, in ebb yet terrible deep.’
George Crabbe, Suffolk Poet
It was time for the painting to be hung in it’s position, the high, beautifully lit wall at East Coast House. It arrived safely in one piece, and was put in the able hands of staff from Suffolk Norse, who scaled the scaffolding and deftly secured the weighty panels in place. I watched , excited and terrified.
The relief seeing the painting up on the wall was immense. It was the right size! I had checked and double checked the dimensions before beginning the painting, tweaking the size many times before ordering the linen panels, It had to be big enough for the large wall but not so big that I couldn’t get it out through my studio door. Seeing it finally in position, the shape of the panels echoing the dark frames of the window panels of the building, I was delighted. Most importantly, I was pleased with the painting itself. I normally avoid commissions as for me it creates too many compromises with the finished painting, the direction the painting needs and wants to go. I felt now, looking at the piece that it was a good balance of answering the brief set by the council and the natural flow of the way I work, the decisions I make spontaneously in that creative moment that hopefully result in a good painting.
So here it is, my painting:
‘Lingering Tide, Soft Light (The Deben)’ Oil On Linen 2018 (190×135 cm) & (190x85cm)
Here are some of my family, friends and staff at Suffolk Coastal District Council – I’d like to thank the staff and everyone at the council for this wonderful opportunity and their positive feedback. Photos by Paul Nixon at EADT.
