Working Along the Water: Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club

There is a distinct quietness to working on location by open water. Sitting near the Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club, the challenge isn’t capturing every architectural detail of the clubhouse or the exact geometry of the railings, but rather balancing the weight of the structures against the shifting light over the broad.

In these studies, I wanted to combine loose, fluid watercolor washes with sharp, expressive ink work. The ink line establishes the structure—the dark, geometric forms of the clock stand, the promenade railings, and the low-slung brickwork—while the washes carry the air and movement. Soft cerulean and pale grey washes across the sky anchor the expanse of water, punctuated by the white triangular silhouettes of distant sails on the horizon.

In the second view, shifting slightly further along the concrete walk, the human element takes focus. A angler sits at the quay edge, rod extended over the water. The figure adds scale and stillness to the scene, contrasting with the structural lines of the embankment and the boat moving softly across the mid-ground.

Working outdoors requires deciding quickly what to keep and what to leave out. The goal with both sketches was to capture the atmosphere of a cool, clear day on the broad—where grey stone, dark railings, and open sky meet quietly at the water’s edge.