How does one achieve a sense of motion or movement in a painting. Today we look at a small watercolour I acquired last week which I think does achieve this. It is a coastal scene showing fishermen, boats, and steam drifters off a nearby coast. The roiling sea, the wind-bent trees, the billowed clouds fleeing across the sky -it all works. There truly is a feeling of motion – of turmoil – an impending storm. The colours of the sea weave together to bring forth temperamental waves and whitecaps. Look closely at the next two images and you will realise that the white tops are achieved by scratching away the colour (sgraffito) on the paper and not by adding white body colour.The overall effect truly is amazing. Up close there is, one might think, a lack of finesse but this little work is meant to be appreciated in the whole not in small sections. This wee thing is 6 1/2″ x 9 5/8″ (165mm x 245mm). I think this might be #TenbyHarbour. One artist who worked in this style was JMW Turner. If you want to see his coastal watercolours just google #JMWTurner #PortsofEngland and enjoy. The Turner watercolours are the same size as the one in my collection.