Summer series inspiration
Back in July we took a family holiday to the south Devon coast. As regular visitors to the north coast of Devon we decided to visit an area we hadn’t been before. After spending the first half of the year immersed in CVP (Creative Visionary Program) I was ready for some fresh inspiration for some new work, so this seemed the perfect opportunity to take a sketchbook and gather some images.
Many of the photos I gathered during our stay were during my early morning runs. This is my favourite part of the day to get outside, this part of the day brings such a feeling of freshness and the morning air feels calming and crisp. I also love the solitude of the mornings, getting a bit of space before the day with a young family begins at full throttle.
Despite its name, Burgh Island is only technically an island for a few hours each day when the tide is in. For the rest of the time there is a strip of beach that you can walk along that varies in width depending on the tide. There is also an impressive ‘sea tractor’ that taxis’ people two and fro during high tide. We had visited the island on a busy afternoon and I decided then I wanted to return at dawn the following day to appreciate the scenery without the crowds of people walking the footpaths, taking in the views and visiting the old pub, The Pilchard Inn. That morning I only actually saw four other people on the island, two of which were employees of the impressive art deco hotel, another runner and a dog walker.
The small building at the highest point of the island is the old ‘huer’ lookout. It is built on, and may even contain some elements from the former St Michael’s Chapel which dates back to the medieval times. The huer would look out for shoals of fish and call out to the fisherman on the water below to direct them to the shoals.
Travelling West from Bigbury along the coastal path takes you to a lovely little National Trust owned secluded cove that boasts some pretty magnificent coastal views. Ayrmer Cove is hidden between steep, grassy headlands on both sides and the footpath is pretty precarious at places, with steep drops and evidence of coastal erosion. Having not heard of it before I was so glad to have come across it and was blown away by its beauty. The water in the many rock pools glistened a rich blue/green in the sun light, which was a lovely contrast against the sun bleached sandy coloured land. Dark imposing rocks and steep cliff faces surround the sandy beach, and with a 20 minute walk from the nearest car park and no facilities on the beach it is always pretty quiet.
There are many more places that I would have liked to have visited during out stay, and the kids had a great time on the beaches so it’s definitely an area we will visit again in the future. The change of scenery was just what I was after to initiate some new ideas and these three paintings were the result…
These paintings are available to purchase from the online shop.