Collection: River Dart Abstract Art

This river art series has been an exploration of movement, nature, and the ever-changing world around me. I’ve used watercolour, ink, twigs, and sometimes even cider—whatever I have at hand. There’s something raw and immediate about using these materials, as if I’m pulling the essence of the river and landscape straight onto the paper. The constant ebb and flow of the tides creates a dance between the freshwater streams and the salty seawater, and that movement, that push and pull, is what I try to capture in my river art.

The River Dart estuary is such a gem, teeming with life. I’m fascinated by how the creatures that live in and around the water are affected by these shifts—the runoff from the streams meeting the briny sea, the interplay of currents shaping their habitat. All of my paintings in this river art series have evolved from the back of a sailing boat, anchored yet always moving, always swaying with the rhythm of the water. That sense of being part of the river’s constant motion influences everything I do.

Each piece feels like a living thing, evolving as I paint. The boat moves, the water shifts, and I find myself adapting to those changes in real-time, just like the river itself. There’s a freedom in that unpredictability, in not knowing exactly how the tide will shape the next stroke or splash of colour. That’s what makes this river art series so special to me—it’s as alive as the estuary it reflects.