As before I am grateful to Narbe Photographie of Joulouville-les -Pins in Normandy for the use of their image
I wasn’t sure at first what these guys were setting out to catch. It’s shrimps I am told, and of course the green net seems obvious when you know. The other two with the white nets were less obvious but presumably they are for pushing along on the curved ends shovelling up shrimps.
Anyway they made an interesting group and I enjoyed painting them. The wet sand worked well I was told and certainly I was pleased with it.
More about the image than anything else. I hope you enjoy looking at it.
I nearly didn’t take this on, but later, I was pleased that I did. Like something that I have never attempted before, a large group of people all facing the camera or in this case the painter. Faces this small are tricky in watercolour with a brush, and are best avoided or abstracted in some way, which is usually acceptable. The guy who commissioned the painting asked if some detail could go into the faces, and so against my better judgement I did make an effort. Fortunately many were wearing sunglasses which made life easier. The result was acceptable. More than acceptable. he was delighted and so was his mother. She was the one getting married, and I believe she was thrilled with the result, so as always I was heartily relieved. I have said before that it is a great responsibility and a great privilege to be entrusted with someone else’s special occasion.
The monument in the background is the famous bandstand on Brighton promenade and is a delight to paint in itself. Completed in 1884 it is an historical landmark of architectural importance. The cast ironwork was made in Glasgow by Walter Macfarlane & Co, in their saracen foundry. It operates as Heritahe Engineering. Popular for weddings as you can see
