In a reflective mood and woke up this morning to hear an interview with artist Maggi Hambling on Aldeburgh beach against a backdrop of crashing waves. Incredibly, she rises at the crack of dawn every morning to go to the beach and paint the ever changing seascape. How wonderful would that be! I was intrigued by her beach sculpture 'Scallop' and amazed that it's such a cause of controversy. How could something so beautiful possibly be offensive?
She has an exhibition with CS Lowry, who towards the end of his life used the sea as subject matter for his paintings. I find Lowry's matchstick men, cats and dogs a touch twee. But his sea paintings are full of passion and forboding with a deep, dark flat sea - and bold, broad brush strokes similar to Munch – in complete contrast to Maggi's tumbling, crashing wavescapes. I got to thinking that it must be wonderful to live by the sea - swimming in its seductive calmness in the summer and in total awe of its power in winter. We so need people like Maggi to remind us of nature's spectacular beauty.
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