By Sophie Velzian Sophie’s “My Helford Sketchbook” collection of paintings emerged from a year of plein air painting where she found solace and joy in being out in her local landscape while dealing with her mother’s dementia diagnosis. “I want these paintings to uplift and inspire. For me they celebrate the joy of painting, the miracle of art for your mental health, and the beauty of the Helford River”. This painting is part of a new body of work started in January 2026 based on that sketchbook, scaling up from the original gouache paintings and focusing on colour layering and mark making to capture the mood, and a sense of place and time. The original sketchbook inspiration: “The deep green reflections gather at this end of the beach, wrapped around the rock slabs that skirt the bay. I am bathed in the greens, calming, rejuvenating. I have the place to myself, I rejoice.” Painted in acrylic on paper and finished with cold wax. Bonded to board and framed in a white wood frame. Framed Size: W 62cm x H 51cm Painting Size: W 47cm x H 35cm
