Glittering Prize

Starboard Hand Beacon - 10" x 14" - Watercolour

This is one of a group of four paintings which has just won the coveted Winsor & Newton/RI Award at the 200th exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours at the Mall Galleries in London. This prestigious award is given to the artist who's work is judged to be "the most outstanding contribution to the exhibition". Needless to say I am immensely pleased and privileged to have been chosen out of such distinguished company which includes some of the foremost watercolour painters in the world.

All the paintings in the group depict different parts of the same place; I often make a series of paintings based around a particular location, sometimes with each picture leading into the next. In this series the connections are not overt except in that each of the landscapes is within a few yards/metres of the others and each painting contains powerful personal resonances for me.

I will post all four paintings (plus one extra) on the blog along with text that connects with the pictures:

This looks across the deep water entrance to Rye Harbour towards a navigation beacon, life preserver and the dunes of Camber Sands.

"...Pulling mussels from the shell."

The painting is one of five in the 200th exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours at the Mall Galleries, London. The exhibition opens Wednesday 14 March 2012 and runs until Sunday 25 March 2012.