Original on board
Medium acrylic
50 x 40 cm
Brockenhurst We had been for a very long, tiring cycle ride near Brockenhurst, in England’s lovely New Forrest, Hampshire. On this beautiful hot day, our group of nine cyclists were grateful to find a cool leafy glade to get some shade and cool off a bit. Under a canopy of trees, children were taking turns on a rope swing that hung over a shallow river. As fast as I could, I pulled out my ‘phone and took a shot of the scene. Dark shadow beneath the shade of trees, interspersed with splotches of bright sunlight filtering through the leaves – I already knew I had captured a great idea for a painting. Back in the studio, I tried to recreate the high degree of contrast in light and dark. Later, when showing the painting at an exhibition in Chelsea Old Town Hall, I was bemused to hear an observer say, “I know exactly where that painting’s of.” “Really,” I asked, “how so?” The lady replied, “Because my husband had a go on that swing, and fell in the water.”
