Later this month I will be exhibiting my painting ‘Back to Padstow’ at the Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition at The Mall Galleries in London.

You can buy a limited edition print of the painting here

I am really looking forward to getting back to exhibiting again and to get a chance to see paintings by fellow artists.

Do go along if you are in town, they do a fine coffee too!

About The Royal Society of Marine Artists

The Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition features works by both elected members and non-members, celebrating all aspects of the sea in a broad range of styles and media.

The common theme is the sea and tidal waters although, within that remit, work is wide and varied. Subjects range from deep water shipping to coastal scenes, competitive sailing to quiet harbours, marine wildlife to still life.

Some artists specialise in carefully researched historical paintings; others paint en plein air, embracing the significant challenge and thrill of capturing the visceral essence of the scene at a given moment in time; yet others work in their studio from notes and sketches made on location.

The Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA) is widely recognised as the focal point for much of Britain’s finest contemporary marine art and many of the country’s leading marine artists are elected members of the Society.

Opening hours

30th September 2021 – 18th October 2021

  • 10am to 5pm (closes 1pm on final day)
  • *closed all day on Sunday 3 October for the London Marathon
  • **late night opening until 7pm on Thursdays, 30 Sept and 7 Oct

See more on the Mall Galleries website here on how to book tickets and get to the gallery.

Gallery address

Mall Galleries
The Mall
London SW1

A bit about this painting of Padstow in Cornwall

On arrival the first thing I noticed were the fishing boats. It is refreshing to see that Padstow still has a fishing fleet, albeit it a very modest one. Looking at the boats, I’d say they fished for crab and lobster which, on a good day, would be big earners with the local restaurants. There was probably mackerel and suchlike as well.

The Padstow boats were not at all shiny and bright like the restaurants they served, they were a bit “rough ‘n’ ready” – mostly rust-streaked with lobster pots and netting scattered over their decks. And why not? It’s a tough old life out there in the North Atlantic and any boat worth its salt was going to have some scars.

Tourists and locals

The next thing I noticed was how busy it was with tourists. Padstow is massively popular with visitors and tourism is the main earner. It’s popularity has been boosted by the TV-chef Rick Stein who owns a number of restaurants and properties in the town.

This TV fame has led to the town being dubbed “Padstein” by locals and the media. I’m not sure it’s entirely complementary.

An idea for painting Padstow

After tucking into my fish and chips, I rolled around a few ideas for a painting. I decided to combine these two dominant features – fishing and tourism.

 

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