41/15 ‘Iken: a place for reflection’ Oil on canvas 30.5 x 25 cms

has now dropped out of The Gallery where its attached note was:

‘This is more or less an accurate view from the west of Iken church tower along the south side of the River Alde, Suffolk. A few other buildings, one visible, also lie on this small peninsula, part of the scattered village of Iken, once remote but now on various ‘leisure trails’ for bikers and walkers, all of  whom have to beware the crush of overlarge cars along the narrow approach lanes. This was presumably not the case when, in AD 653, St. Botolph founded the monastery of Icanhoh (probably) here.

Although not particularly tall, Iken church tower is a surprisingly visible eye-catcher from many directions up and down the Alde valley. A particularly-valued view is that from the restaurant at Snape Maltings, looking south-east across the reed beds to the clump of trees and tiny tower some 2 kms away.

The buildings’ reflections in the visual sense caught my eye on a near-high tide on a bright Sunday morning looking back towards the church, as a few others walked towards it for their own reflections.

I have painted this view before several times and this is not in any sense a particularly good painting; but it captures for me, in uncharacteristically figurative terms, a pleasant moment before the world was really awake – and, using my memory, sketches and photographs, it literally only took a few minutes to stick it in thick oils on the canvas back in the studio.’