Beach Hut at Hengistbury Head, Dorset

This is a fairly straightforward “L-shaped” composition, where at least two-thirds of the paper surface is occupied by a big, dramatic sky that seems to be threatening us with a cloudburst at any minute. The white painted beach hut contrasts perfectly with the dark brooding clouds, and the introduction of a bit of warmer colour for the grasses and sand in the middle distance and foreground completes the picture. It’s a really good mixture of techniques with wet into wet for the vast sky, contrasted with the fine brush-work for the beach hut details, and it also gives us an opportunity to explore the use of shadows to create a more 3-dimensional look. Happy painting, Geoff.