Do you know a location in England beginning with X ? I’ve certainly never visited one, so X will have to be the Extremes of weather facing the outdoor watercolour painter. Heat, cold, wind & rain, all normal parts of English weather, are extremely challenging out in the field. A heatwave dries the paint on the brush, freezing cold creates ice crystals in the washes, heavy rain will wash the paint off the paper, and gales will make a steady hand impossible. So why do we do it? Because it’s fun, and a challenge, and very satisfying when any sort of result is achieved. My picture is an example of just one extreme - wind. It doesn’t pretend to be great art but, hopefully, captures some of the atmosphere of the occasion. “The Blackshore in a Gale” was painted outdoors, on Southwold’s Blackshore, in a 45mph gale! I know the windspeed because a couple of fishermen passed me saying they weren’t going out until it dropped below 45mph. I’ve painted in wind many times but never seen my painting board fly 10 yards away while setting up, or the paint streaming horizontally off my squirrel mop as I held it over the paper. It was gusty so I quickly learned to do broad washes until a gust abated then put in straight edges and masts in each brief lull. A lively sketch from a memorable day!