Watercolour on paper with shells and charms on customised wooden frame.
2009
12" x 16"
This phrase immediately makes one think of someone who has swum too far out to sea and is literally out of their depth i.e. in a position of discomfort or potential peril.
Sailors identify two types of water; inshore, fairly shallow coastal water and the deep water of the world's oceans. Oceanic storms can throw up enormous waves, and this coupled with the swell of the sea can swamp ships and send them to the bottom! Therefore one needs plenty of skill, experience and concentration to navigate a safe passage.
Taking its cue from nautical slang and its everyday use, All At Sea is a collection of paintings illustrating well known phrases while influenced by traditional sailor tattoos styles and pin ups.
The work takes the viewer on a romantic and melancholic journey featuring lost loves, cruel sirens and shipwrecked sailors.
Using both acrylics and water colours the paintings bridge classic sailor tattoo style with a wistful and dreamy narrative inviting the viewer to embrace the call of the sea with all its beauty and perils.