I’m really lucky. Carne beach is my local; you’ll find me there most days. Therefore, it’s quite strange that I’ve not thought to paint it before now.
I think it’s one of those things where you see something or a place so often, you almost stop looking or observing properly. I love Carne beach. It’s rocks, cliffs and inlets are so familiar to me, not to mention the unmistakable outline of Nare Head. Even so, I find myself seeking inspiration in less familiar parts of Cornwall. I think that’s about to change though.
The story behind Bright and Early at Carne
The reference photo for Bright and Early at Carne was taken a couple of months before lockdown, in January 2020. I was dog sitting over the weekend and on the Sunday morning, my son, my friend’s children, me and their dog headed out for a local walk. It was early; too early for a Sunday morning.
Carne beach was actually the last stop off on the walk. We went to Carne Beacon first, but Hamish the chocolate lab couldn’t get over the stile! I can’t remember if I managed to heave-ho the dog over the stile or if we turned back and walked to the beach. Either way, we headed down to Carne so Hamish could have a run.
There’s no doubting the beautiful morning we experienced. There wasn’t much beach to walk on as high tide had just happened but the sun was shining down on us. It was brisk and refreshing. The golden light was apparent as the sea mist reached up from the water, taking on a ginger hue.
It’s the first photo of Carne I’ve taken that I’ve felt compelled to paint. I’ve since taken a lot of views of the beach during my swims here, and I think there’s going to be a few more paintings of Gerrans Bay to come!
You can find details about Bright and Early at Carne here.
If you’d like to follow my art process and other work in progress, head over to my instagram, @pen_sherwood_art.
