Waiting for the tide by Guy Nicholson

It certainly is okay Guy, you've done a lovely sky, nice sense of depth and the boat is super. Good luck with your first exhibition.

Thanks Fiona, that's a weight off my mind!

Well, I think it'll do! Actually, I find this sort of scene a challenge - they're not easy to do; getting the lie of the land right in relation to the sea, indicating the break of water on the shore, and as for the boat - well, I do try to avoid boats..... Insofar as there are technical problems, they'll be overcome as you keep painting so - keep painting! You have all the basics, all you need to do is refine them, and all that takes is practice. You have an appealing sense of colour, a grasp of the sweep and movement of the land and sea; here, you could have done with something behind those trees on the shore; maybe a slightly fresher colour for the beach, which has got a bit dull; and just a little more freedom with the wrist in painting those foreground touches. I also suspect that something went a bit haywire when you painted the mast against the sky .... just a suggestion of painting around a problem that might have occurred, but I could well be wrong. (Oh, it happens.....) But it's an appealing painting, and many "better" paintings technically can't say that; the boat is great - more more more, if you please.

Thanks for your comments Robert. Actually I chose the colour of the beach because this isn't the sea it is Maldon which lies on a tidal river. The mudflats are very well known locally and are actually even duller than I have shown them! I appreciate your comments though.