The
View from My Beach Hut' - Art inspired by the sea and shoreline
at Shoalstone Outdoor Pool by Jenny Harriman
From
19th April until 28th May at Brixham Adult & Community Learning
Centre, Off Westover Close. Open Mon-Fri 9.30-5pm and Mon-Wed
6.30-8.30pm.
I spent my formative
summers on rocky shores with small patches of sand called Jennycliff
and Heybrook Bay beach. These sandy spots changed each year
as the sea carried pebbles in and out. I loved the freedom of
it - long hazy summer days, in and out of the water exploring
rock pools and enjoying the companionship of family and friends.
When I went to Newton
Park College in Bath I missed the sea and returned to teach
at Kingsbridge comprehensive school for four years, where I
taught English, Art and Woodwork; enjoying Bantham beach on
our doorstep.
Next we moved to Telford
to teach in Stirchley 9-11 Middle School where learning revolved
around the environment and subjects were inter-related; then
onto Leicester to teach Textiles, Pottery, Art and English at
Leysland High School. This was followed by seven years as Community
Tutor at Beauchamp College. This period was filled with a yearning
for the sea and summers in Devon.
So, when I got the post
of Adult Tutor at Brixham Community College in 1988, and discovered
Shoalstone, it was a great delight. Last summer we were lucky
enough to get one of the newly installed Shoalstone beach huts
in the ‘draw'.
Going down at every available
moment throughout the summer of 2009 took me back to childhood.
I spent time getting to know the foreshore and one rock in particular.
I had to draw, photograph and paint it in-situ and explore it
at low tide.
My involvement with the
Geopark Steering Group reminded me of my love of physical geography
at school and I began seeing my sketches as the start of something
bigger, which might raise awareness of why Shoalstone is a Site
of Special Scientific Interest. I have created a geo-trail to
enable people to find the features illustrated in my exhibition
– limestone rocks, abrasion platforms and red sandstone dykes.
Media used in the exhibition includes textiles, found items
from the strandline, balsa modelling, recycled materials, plus
drawings and paintings.
The beach at Shoalstone
offers so many delights: from happy laughing children, adults
relaxing chatting in the sun, volunteers working hard to maintain
the facility, swimming out to sea observing the activity from
far off, watching the seal watching us, a breakfast of bacon
butties outside our beach hut, swimming back successfully against
the unexpected pull of a rip tide, catching a small fish sunbathing
on the surface of the sea, and enjoying the lads strutting their
stuff as they back flip off my rock…. and it is all free!
I hope more people will
enjoy this magical setting and support the Friends of Shoalstone
Pool who are busy cleaning and painting it for the new season.
There will be a series of walks and talks in Adult Learners'
Week May 17th -21st about Shoalstone. Details
in the Brixham Adult and Community Learning newsletter available
from all local libraries. |
Primary
