Paintings and Prints of the East Anglian Coast
Day 187 and a sketch of the Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria). These dense spiky tufts of grass are at their peak of splendour with flowering stems. These are an important perennial species as their root system helps to stabilize the sand dunes.
On of my favorite views down on the Blackshore, Southwold Harbour looking towards Walberswick church along the moorings across the River Blyth. And typically there was as usual Herring Gulls sitting on them.
As I walk towards the sea on Kessingland beach I always catch my first glimpse of the sea through the Marram Grass. The Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria) at the moment is in full flower.
This Martello sketch sits exactly between the one at shingle street and Bawdsey at Alderton and is a grade II listed building. It is an uninhabited tower. It is interesting as it is the site of two war defences, the first is the Martello tower itself which was constructed in early 19th century and had a WWII pill box added to the roof. It has remained empty since the end of WWII.
Want to know more about Martello towers with a VR video follow this link.
http://www.touchingthetide.org.uk/our-projects/virtual-reality-martello-tower/
So here we are day 183, the 1st of July and half way through the year. Thank you for all you kind comments and encouragement I hope you continue to enjoy them for the next 183 days. Please keep liking and sharing and giving me that little bit of encouragement that keeps me going.
Many of you gave me some great suggestions for the subject of today’s sketch and I will surely over the coming months get round to many of them them. Please keep your suggestions coming in.
So today was a special day and for those of you who know my work well will realise that over the years the boats at Aldeburgh on the beach and estuary have been a firm favorite of mine. I have seen over the years fewer and fewer of the beach boats actually fishing and now even surviving. Now most are unfortunately slowly decaying which whilst is very sad also is a great subject to me as an artist.
Today I sketched the beach boat “Jim Clair” resting in the shingle and grass.
Also now on sketchbook number 5 (6 about to start soon) and 80 chinagraph pencils which are now mostly little stubs.
