My Journey as an Artist

Painting the feeling of the sea

For me, painting has never simply been about creating a beautiful picture.

It’s about capturing a feeling.

The feeling of standing beside the sea, breathing in the fresh coastal air, watching the waves move and feeling the rest of the world begin to slow down.

My aim with every painting is to create a sense of tranquillity, contentment, freedom and happiness — to create artwork that transports you to a peaceful memory or reminds you of those precious moments spent beside the sea.

The sea has always been a very important part of my life. I’ve lived in West Cumbria all my life and spent many happy hours on the beach with my family when I was growing up. Those experiences left me with a deep appreciation for the beauty and character of our coastline.

I’m fascinated by the way the sea is never quite the same. The changing weather, the shifting light and the way the atmosphere transforms the waves can create such drama and beauty. It’s this ever-changing nature of the coast that continues to inspire me today.

Where it all began

Art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

When I was at primary school, there were evening art classes that my family attended together. I think this was probably my first real experience of painting with what I thought of as ‘proper’ paint — and I absolutely loved it.

Then, as happens to so many of us, life took over.

I left school, entered the world of work, married and became a mum to two wonderful sons. Art was put to one side for a while, although I never really stopped being creative.

It was my boys who eventually brought me back to it.

When they were around seven and nine, my mam enrolled them in a Saturday morning art class. Their art teacher encouraged me to join in too, and something just clicked.

I was hooked.

I hadn’t realised how much I had missed creating.

The three of us went along every week for some time, and it became a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time together. My boys have inherited my love of art and creativity, which made those sessions even more special.

At that time I painted mainly in watercolour, particularly flowers. I loved colour, but I never really enjoyed the wishy-washy results that could come with using lots of water. I began experimenting with using much less water so I could create richer, more vibrant colours.

And that curiosity to learn and experiment has stayed with me ever since.

Finding my way as an artist

I felt that I had missed out on developing my art education earlier in life, so I decided to change that.

In my early forties, I returned to studying and completed my GCSE in Art, followed by an A Level and then an HND in Fine Art.

I also went on to study the principles of art through an online course, exploring things such as colour, composition, size, texture and contrast.

Every stage of that journey taught me something new and helped me understand not only how to paint, but why certain things work together to create a feeling.

During my studies, I experimented with acrylics and quickly fell in love with their versatility.

I love the richness and vibrancy of acrylic paint and the freedom it gives me to work in different ways — from thin layers to much thicker applications. It allows me to build up the surface of a painting and create the textures I’m looking for.

And that is particularly important when I paint the sea.

Bringing the coast to life

My paintings are created using mixed media, combining acrylic paint with texture to give the waves a three-dimensional quality.

I often add tiny pieces of the West Cumbrian coast itself, using shale or sand within my work. I love the idea that a small part of the landscape that inspired a painting can become physically embedded within it.

The texture helps me capture the movement and energy of the ocean, while the colour and light help create the atmosphere and emotion of a particular moment.

I’m not trying to paint the sea exactly as it appears.

I’m trying to capture how it feels.

That moment when you stand on the shoreline and everything feels a little lighter.

The calm of watching the waves.

The freedom of looking out towards the horizon.

The happiness of remembering a special day by the sea.

The sense that, for just a moment, you don’t need to be anywhere else.

Why I paint

Art has become such a huge part of my life.

It’s where I find my own sense of peace, contentment and harmony — and that is priceless to me.

Now I want to share that feeling with others.

Each painting is my attempt to capture a beautiful, relaxing moment in time and turn it into something you can live with and enjoy every day.

Perhaps it reminds you of somewhere you love.

Perhaps it brings back a special memory.

Or perhaps you simply look at it after a busy day and feel yourself taking a breath and slowing down.

Whatever it means to you, I hope my paintings bring a little of the sea into your home — and with it, a little more tranquillity, contentment, freedom and happiness.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about my journey and my art.

Love, Gill X