A short break in North Devon

I know I promised to keep my blog updated in my one and only previous post, but I haven’t been able to get into it – still some web-site teething troubles.

I haven’t been completely idle though. A short break in North Devon found me staring into rock pools again. They are complete little worlds and suggest such abstract paintings to me. So I stared, photographed scribbled and tried to commit the colours and shapes to memory. Here are a couple of scribbles – finished oils to follow.

Combe Martin remains a great spot and only a couple of hours from where we live. I love the coast of North Devon, as you can see from my gallery, and we returned to a great campsite at Newberry Valley, for some September sunshine. Nearby Ilfracombe is much changed since the early 1970s when I spent a memorable summer washing dishes there. It’s been through years of neglect and downturn, but seems to be on the up, with new galleries and restaurants springing up. I suppose some thanks must go to Damian Hirst, who has opened a restaurant there and loaned the town a frankly hideous sculpture. He also has plans to develop his own small town nearby – the man has a serious God-complex. There is also a great Wetherspoons there – I never expected to say those words together, but it is worth a visit, with a wonderful roof garden.