Studies made after sea swimming, feeling the exhilarating rush of sea air and spray. Oil paints applied directly from the tube onto un-primed canvas, dry brushwork, sand and salt air.

Development work based on sea studies. Oil bars on wooden board

First stop on a sea swimming and painting residential trip to North Wales. Quick studies made from the jetty on a cold and stormy afternoon.

Experimenting with outdoor exhibition ideas. Could paintings be installed for long periods of time? How would they weather and interact with the landscape? Could they be exhibited in a gallery space after weathering outdoors?

Ink, charcoal, oil pastels and oil bars on canvas Water 2 Air 1 Experimenting with colour palettes and capturing a sense of movement

Charcoal and oil pastels on paper Water 7 Air 13 Immediately after swimming I sketched on paper using charcoal. That night I dreamt of pink, green and ochre waterscapes.

Oil bars and oil pastels on canvas Water 3 Air 3 The cold water feels like it’s cutting through my hands, shoulders and feet.

Video footage Water 7 Air 12 Underwater camera attached to my chest. Watching the interaction between underwater, my body, surface, reflections, land and air

Charcoal and oil bars on canvas Water 6 Air 13 Looking out over the lake I notice fish normally hidden in the weeds, moving like shadows beneath the surface.  I watch the shadows in the ripples and the water reflects light and colour and life.

Charcoal and oil bars on canvas Water 5 Air 6 Swimming back to shore the water feels as thick as treacle, the ripples slowly moving away from my body. Red and green willows reflected on the deep black waters surface and the last of the summers weeds pulling at my legs and arms.