Portland Bill Lighthouse on the Isle of Portland, in the beautiful county of Dorset, England shows the way for vessels heading for Portland or Weymouth. The lighthouse warns shipping of the rock coastline of the Portland Bill and the hazardous waters that surround it.

Out to sea on the left of the painting can be seen the white capped waves of the Portland tidal race, which is caused by the turbulent coming together of tidal surges between the Bill and the Shambles sandbank. The currents here are so strong that it causes this continuous choppy patch of sea which can be seen by anyone looking out to sea from the Portland Bill.

This is a painting that is from source material gathered on a second visit to the Bill, on a wind swept day in late April of 2015.  I particularly liked this composition because everything draws you to or from the lighthouse: lines of wild-flowers, vegetation, the rocks ledges filled with pools of seawater from the recently falling tide. The breaking waves, the old Portland stone crane and the scudding clouds - all of which sweep towards or emanate from the focal point of the lighthouse complex and the Lobster Pot restaurant.