Celebrating West Sussex scenes in London show

Nick Botting -The End of the Day at Itchenor Sailing Club

Nick Botting includes paintings of West Wittering, Dell Quay and Itchenor Harbour in his London exhibition.

He is showing his work at Portland Gallery, 3 Bennet Street, London, SW1A 1RP until May 31.

Nick said: “I have painted all over the world and have stood amongst Chelsea fans to paint an FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium as a commission for The FA; I have painted Sir Ian Botham's portrait on the roof of a stadium in Pakistan as he watched a Test match.

“I love to experience what I am painting directly – to paint it from life – as that involvement in the moment comes across in the paintings. Like many people I love the wildness of the sea and enjoy the changing weather and atmosphere as I work out of doors. I witness patterns in people's behaviour like the way people stand when they are waiting and watching or the change in mood as the tide starts to come in. People are calmer as it recedes and excited and generally louder as it comes in. I hope you feel that these paintings convey something of what is wonderful about being next to the sea.

“I am unfortunate enough to live in London and hence have the desperate need to escape. I hope that sense of escape comes across in the paintings. I am including a picture of Glorious Goodwood. I have been coming to paint there for many years now and particularly love West Wittering.”

A spokesman for the Gallery said: “Botting’s paintings are painting stripped back to its bones – the subject and its painter – without any pretence or artifice. These paintings are the visual reaction of an artist responding to the fleeting world around him through the medium of paint on canvas. There is a rawness to sitting in front of a subject and making a painting about it which is grounding and immersive and which speaks directly to anybody who is looking for a sense of reality and presence.

“In a good landscape painting you should be able to tell the temperature and the time of day. So goes the old art dealers’ saying, and it is one that is well worth bearing in mind with Nick Botting’s pictures of London and the English seaside. Nick Botting paints in all seasons.”