The Mirror

The calm of the « claires » around the oyster farmers’ cabins on Oléron create row upon row of glassy mirrors. Even the creeks are eerily still. The subdued lavender tones of the cabin, situated between the still pools, is echoed in the sky and water of a late afternoon at the end of winter.

Artist’s notes :
Out of season and near the end of the day are my favourite moments on the île d’Oléron. There is a certain peace which is particular to this island. This scene seemed to sum that up with that slight disquiet that sometimes seems to be carried on the light Oléron breeze. I wanted to capture that. I wanted to put it in a bottle, cork it and take it home. Painting it was the next best thing!

These are the pools where the oysters mature, feeding on the algae for a few weeks before going on sale. The algae gives the oysters their colour and unique taste particular to this french Island.

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