This was in fact a canvas I painted on site at the Birmingham NEC during the Christmas '08 show. This is the sort of thing I like to do on the easel at shows with observers keen to come back the next day to see how it is progressing. This can be quite amusing as sometimes I don't know what it is going to finish up as myself!
I adore the severe contrast between the relatively bright sky with the very dark ground, especially if there is plenty of water interspersed among the stones and rocks to yield those lovely ribbons of light reflecting the sky. I was pondering to myself what to add to the composition to humanise it a bit and someone shouted from the back "Put a balloon in it!". So I did and I am glad because I think it looks pretty good sat there drifting very slowly in the almost dead calm water, enhancing the tranquillity of the scenario.
Print - image 13" x 9¾", overall size 15"x 12¾"
Artist signed giclee print. Limited edition of 500