All my life I have been fascinated by the sea. John Masefield’s rhythmic poem “Sea fever” with its repeated “I must go down to the seas again…” resonates deeply with me. I wanted to explore an element of humanity’s relationship with the sea, that of anchorage. By focusing on this idea many questions emerged. What is it that anchors us to the land but allows interaction with the sea? Are these objects markers of time, or ways we can utilise the sea? I examined these questions by working on birch wood panels, using both acrylic and oil paint. In some paintings the abstract background represents the sea and the light layers of paint allow the wood grain to appear, giving another dimension to the sea. In others, the scenes are flattened to create a sense of calm and tranquillity.
