Situated on the East Coast of Yorkshire lies the small, unspoilt, seaside town of Filey. Many Yorkshire families have and do spend their holidays here. Indeed I spent my first 16 years on holiday here. My grandma had a flat in the Crescent so I know it well.
For a week in Spring I painted various views of Filey in all weathers outside.
A sea fret enveloped the Brigg as I sat and painted the traditional fishing boats in this picture. Sheltering under a canopy, I captured this scene using lots of acrylic paint and ink colours to depict the boats and the ancient cobbles. A seagull wandered by. It rained and you can see the raindrops which made marks on this painting in the top right hand corner of the lilac sky.
It was very cold and I had five layers of clothing on and thermal boots in order to keep warm as I painted the buildings from the beach. I managed to paint for 7 hours one day, luckily for me my cousin came along and kept bringing me cappuccinos to warm me up!
I am still finishing these paintings in my Dove Tree Art Studio, so do keep an eye on the website. I will be travelling back to paint more of your favourite seaside towns shortly!
I was asked to create a special painting for the prestigious annual Berry’s Tennis Event by Martin Wicks, owner of Hazlewood Castle. This is a magnificent 12th-century castle hotel set in spectacular surroundings near York. As the Artist-in-Residence here, I have many
paintings displayed throughout the castle.
Spring presents the most amazing spectacle and in a short window early May, the Cherry Blossoms burst forth followed by the Bluebells and sometimes at the same time. I love being outside in the elements capturing these sights.
My background to painting outside stems from early childhood. No matter what the weather - I'll always try and paint outside of my studio to capture the subject matter be it animals, landscapes or as is often the case - a combination!
Anita Bowerman
Author
Artist