I went sailing on my brothers boat recently and had a great time mucking around the Solent and Portsmouth Harbour.

The light, colours and sights inspired me to capture that feeling of slapping through the waves on a fresh breeze. I tried two versions, one on a typical blustery day with grey scudding clouds and misty horizon. The other on a brighter, clearer day, with more blues and reflected light.

The boat is the same class as my brothers boat but not an identical match, as I didn’t have a photo of his boat to work from. I found photos of locations on the Solent such as the Needles and Ryde, on the Isle of Wight. Mixing many elements from different sources to get the composition I wanted.

It felt good to be painting a subject with a purpose and story, however, the results are a cliche of sailing boat paintings and I’m not totally satisfied with the final outcomes. However, one will be framed and given as a birthday present – but which one?

Tacking Off Ryde

Rounding the Needles