High Tide

A woman in a thick jacket, waterproofs and boots cleans and sorts the oysters brought in that day. From the bridge she is hidden by a thick végétation, but she is there, everyday, in all weathers, under a makeshift cover. Just visible is an old motor home, long since mobile, that provides shelter and a thin warmth in extrême conditions. From hère we gaze out to a pale bleached sea beyond the silvery channel. A sparse sélection of cabins are dotted above the muddy banks, one standing out in its coat of bright turquoise. A chill is in the air and we shiver, pulling our clothing a little tighter around us as we look upon the slow moving water, on the turn, to rejoin the expansé of salty water beyond.

Artist’s notes :
I love the île d’Oléron in all seasons. but I think I like winter best. The winter sun and sweeping clouds bathe the island and its shores in a silvery light. The tiny port of La Brande is almost unnoticed and can be easily missed, but it holds an ambiance all of its own.

This painting is finished to the sides in black linen tape and has fixings in place, ready to hang, making framing optional.