Skatetraw memories

Skateraw memories Acrylic. 110x150 cms

The painting like many of my landscapes, doesn't represent a single viewpoint, but rather, attempts to record the experience of countless days spent walking to and from the beach at Newtonhill. This painting explores the area around the headland which still contains much of the original community of Skateraw, and the painting incorporates many of its unique features.
Most of them are self explanatory, from the fishermans boats and huts, the old plank across the mouth of the burn which feeds into the cove, and the view to the north along the coast.
But just underneath the new houses growing on the skyline are some groups of different coloured rectangles
These rectangles of colour represent the small allotments which intrepid people had nurtured just under the cliffs edge.
As far as I know, according to Scots law, the land between the edge of the cliff and the sea is common ground and can be cultivated by anyone.
These allotments are actually to be found on the other side of the headland from the main view but I really wanted to get them in the painting.
In most of my paintings I try to share my experience of being in a particular place at a specific time, but I think this might be the first painting in which I have tried to extend the timescale so that there might a feeling of 'living' in a space, rather then just visiting.