Cookies Crab Shop, Salthouse.

This is excellent - the charm of the place comes across so well. I do prefer it to Blakeney, perhaps for the composition, looking through the two cars to the crab shop.

Agree with Marjorie - one of your best. It is a charming scene, and your composition works a treat. The combination of the lead-in between the two cars, and those nice darks scattered across the scene made the thumbnail leap out immediately. You did mention somewhere that you were not really interested in values, more in colour, but here you have combined the two so sweetly.

Thank you so much Majorie and Sharon for such positive comments. I still haven't found my stride with pen and wash yet. Still lacking direction. I muck some up all the time and really - how can you muck a pen and wash up?? What an idiot I can be! However, this is one that I am happy with, so that's a plus and will give me the drive to keep on trying to get more right than I currently do.

That is so lovely and fresh, what a great pen and ink

One of your best Thea, I love it!

Love it for lots of good things Thea.

Another Thea gem. It's very distinctive in style and it's very good.

You were happy when you painted this which shines through the painting. Must have been memories of those yummy crab sandwiches!! Perfect colour choice for the two cars, the space between leading nicely into the shop.

Nicely drawn Thea. This collection of your Norfolk pen and wash would make a lovely set of Notelets. I remember the place well having painted there and lunched in the Dun Cow Inn

Stunning, as always Thea

It certainly is successful, Thea. Even the spattering makes it more lively and spontaneous (if that is even possible!). Fabulous. I wish I had done this! There is a lot of thinking in this about when to stop adding colours and leave parts of the drawing white. Your admiration of Charles Reid is visible, do you also whistle while painting as he does during his DVD (lol!!)?

Thank you so much Aaron, Annette, Christine, Derek and Gudrun - lovely comments and you've made me feel very buoyant today!

Thank you very much Louise and Alan for all your super feedback - much appreciate. Alan, I know the Dun Cow well but haven't eaten at it yet. We are staying at a house in Salthouse in September this year so no doubt we will sample it's delights - and, of course, one of Cookies crab sandwiches.

Thank you Petra and Mia for such lovely comments. I love a bit of spatter, I have to say, and very few of my paintings escape my flicked brush. I don't actually whistle like Charles R, but I do make a similar noise when thinking about what to do next. I don't know if I have picked that up from him or if it is just me. On the CR course I went on, my similar noises caused some hilarity.

It's totally brilliant Thea: engaging and lively and completely successful in both composition and execution

Very, very nice Thea, I love how the eye is taken through the two cars to the point of interest - the crab shop. lovely colours and great pen work, all held together beautifully within a pencilled box.

Thank you very much Kim and Frank - much appreciate your positive comments.

An absolutely knockout, Thea! The composition and palette are certainly superb, but I think on top of that, you've captured a lot of atmosphere and your enthusiasm for the place certainly shines through, which I think adds a definitive zing to the piece. Sorry I'm a little late in commenting. Been travelling, but I look forward to catching up on your paintings.

Thank you very much, Seok. I know what you mean about catching up on commenting. I get too busy to get on POL and then I have to have a blitz and go back over the last couple of weeks to see what I have missed.

Brilliant work in your portfolio Thea, love this.

Your pen and wash work is so crisp and refreshing.