Flying between Brisbane and Cairns, in October 2024, I glimpsed sand surrounded by turquoise tropical waters, dropping away to deeper blue depths through small starboard panes.

Hastily taken snaps on my phone helped me to remember the moment. During the next twelve months, I tried out some of the colours in water element paintings.

Retracing the route, a year later, proved to be the catalyst for developing imagined sand bar shapes and layouts.

This A6 sized organic sketch was to be the design, on four times larger, A3 paper. At the last moment, I decided not to pencil an outline. I drew three shapes using the edge of a candle, saved from my niece’s birthday in September this year.

Relying on the light catching the wax on paper, viewed across the surface was hit and miss. I accepted whatever happened would what I would work with.

Beginning with thin turquoise washes, the white outlines emerged, revealing the paper beneath. The white reminded me of the waves gently breaking on unseen barriers.

When satisfied with the colour, I added recycled salt crystals to add texture. Next the inky depths began to form.

Again using wax resist, the exposed sand outlines were added along with light yellow ochre glazes. Adding wax to the sand and glazing with burnt umber provided streaks of matter caught in rivulets.

I usually start and finish a painting in a few hours. On this occasion, the creation process stretched over two delicious days.