The Thorpeness Dawdle

52.1823° N, 1.6130° E

 Thorpeness is a fascinating place. It has the wonderful wild shingle beach where in Winter the wind takes your feet from under you but then, in contrast, the  gentle charm of the Meare and the timbered cottages that surround it look straight out of a model village. This is in a way no surprise for many of the buildings  are part of a major project developed during the early 1900's.

Many  of the mock Tudor and Jacobean buildings are all part of a grand scheme to design a fantasy holiday village initiated by Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie. He was the son of civil engineer and railway developer Alexander Ogilvie who bought and renamed Sizewell Hall as a holiday home and eventually extended the estate to Dunwich, Aldeburgh, Leiston and Aldringham.. I have tried in my design to include as many of the interesting buildings that appear around every corner as possible but inevitably there will be more to discover.

More to come tomorrow! 

all in a name.....

 I've been trying to think of a name for this project. I've been dreaming about making a start on it for so long and yet now the opportunity arises I am faltering on the big question! In the end it has seemed the best thing to do was make a start on the work and let inspiration happen! 

I like "where the land meets the sea" but it has been used over and over again now. Here is my train of thought...

ebb and flow....tidelines...flotsam and jetsam...

sea boundary...breakwaters..edgelands...strandline...shoreline... the dawdling tide...rather like the last one!!!

The Suffolk Coast- the map book ...progress continues and concludes.

The Suffolk Coast -a beginning of kind

                                  

One of my biggest faults has always been coming up with ideas but never actually getting on and doing! This project, however, has been brewing for so long that hopefully that flaw won't be a problem!

Lockdown and the pandemic has somewhat put a spanner in the works meaning that I am housebound even though living only a few miles from the coast.The obvious starting point therefore seems to be my home stretch of Suffolk coast,making a plan of the area that I will cover. 

There are many beautiful spots along this piece of coastline from crumbling cliffs to the mudflats of estuary, from Lowestoft to Felixstowe. As I have always loved handmade maps the idea came to make a small concertina map book for each section of the project as a way to introduce locations. The lack of scale or accuracy I don't see as a problem and indeed they could probably be seen as a feature of my work up to now!

                      

The map was drawn in ink and then coloured in thin overlaying washes in watercolour and gold paint.The places I will explore individually are listed and it illustrates a trawler from Lowestoft, fishing boats from Southwold and Aldeburgh and the foot ferry at Old Felixstowe.Initially I had thought of making it into a pocket book with hand painted luggage labels which could be pulled out with interesting facts on the reverse....Not sure, I might make two versions!

  

I began researching the statue on Lowestoft prom of Triton. He was created in 1850, apparently by a John Thomas Chalford (1813-1862) and made from bath stone. He is one of two, the other is carved into the promenade. I vividly remember this one from childhood trips but cannot for the life of me think where the other is...a trip post lockdown is needed! They were commissioned by Samuel Morton Peto a Victorian entrepreneur who was a major figure in the development of Lowestoft . You can find out more here...

https://www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/places/a-z-of-suffolk/p-is-for-sir-samuel-morton-peto/

Triton was a Greek god of the sea, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, who lived in a golden palace. He is usually portrayed as a merman and here holds a large cornucopia at his side. 

I have  now embellished a reproduction of the map and made it into a small concertina book.

Next stage is more research and more experimentation with the labels and book construction!

How did I get to here?

 

I have been exhibiting my work for nearly thirty years, firstly, part-time while also working as a primary teacher and then full-time for the last ten years. It has been a very fulfilling way to live and I never forget to appreciate how lucky I am....that is not to say that it hasn't been extremely hard work at times!I am lucky in that I have two lovely studios in my garden, one which houses my large etching press and the other a summerhouse with views over the pond and bird feeders so I never have far to wander.The studio assistant is, of course, always with me!

This last year of the pandemic has given me,like many, the opportunity to reflect on things and so this is where I am now! For many years I have had a longing lurking at the back of my mind to create a body of work that depicts the coast of the UK...a small project! 

The coast has always figured strongly in my work and often when visiting, for example, the Hebrides or Northumberland I have longed to produce images from there but, needs must,I have had to limit my work to the local area.The only exception to this has been a painting of Newcastle on Tyne for my son and a few handmade books based on Scottish trips which I absolutely loved making.So.. decision made....the time to commit to this project is now! 

I am aiming to produce a series of paintings which will also become Giclee prints and cards. Also in mind are small handmade books which will include text and images.My two favourite things have always been creating imaginative text and images...the books are a perfect match! The purpose of this blog is to function as an ongoing record of the project... to post sketches, information found, reference photos, progress shots etc 

Lockdown has rather thrown a spanner in the works for travelling any distance but fortunately I have a vast amount of reference material for my little part of the Suffolk coast....no better or safer place to begin!

January 2021