Glassy Water, Borrowdale

Oil, 10x14 inches

I'm currently doing a few Lakeland paintings to take up to Cumbria, so here's the first offering. 

I am drawn to painting water, having always been fascinated with rivers and lakes as a boy, when I spent all my time (before picking up a golf club) fishing, following the 'Peter' in the 'Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing' by Bernard Venables, that genius of a book about a bygone era of the 40's and 50's.  I no longer fish, but In the Lake District I'm like a boy in a sweet shop - at every turn there is a painting.  I'm off up there again soon and can hardly wait!

Anyway, this little painting of the river Derwent in Borrowdale, was a gem of a subject.  Looking into the sunlight, the deeper water on this bend shimmered with glassy light and I hope I've done it justice.  

I had the pleasure of meeting David Miller and his wife Lisa at the Bird Fair at Rutland Water on Sunday. I've long been an admirer of his work - David, as well as a superb painter of birds, is a brilliant painter of fish in their natural habitat, a fairly unusual genre and one in which he really excells.  His passion for his subjects shines out from the canvas.  I bought his excellent book, 'Beneath the surface', which is a must for anyone who loves fish especially, or who just loves great art.  He paints what's in the water and I paint what's above it.  Hmmm, that's not a bad idea for a show sometime.............