This is an unusual piece in the exhibition because it was painted in two stages, on two different beaches, several years apart. It began as a detailed observational study on aluminium panel, then later found its full depth and atmosphere during a storm-painting trip in North Devon.

Aluminium is a resilient surface for plein air work, especially for spray paint, pencil and line, though less forgiving with diluted paint. The first stage of the work was slow and precise, built from close study of rock, stone, strata and angular cliff forms, with experimental spray-painted negative shapes made by placing stones directly on the surface. For a long time it remained in the studio as a beautiful but unresolved black-and-white drawing. Years later, I took it back out and found the missing drama: dark cliffs on the horizon, weather in the sky, and a breathtaking line of cobalt in the sea pulling the eye far into the distance. The final piece holds both kinds of attention, careful observation in the foreground and a deep, storm-lit cobalt blue pull towards the horizon.