Exiting Ware Lock 

Heavy damp gates yielded, releasing the narrow boat into the still waters of the River Lea. Trailing behind on a taut length of rope, a small, weathered rowing boat bobbed in the gentle wake, acting as a makeshift barge for a haphazard pile of DIY supplies; tins of emulsion, tightly bound drop cloths, and paint-splattered sides gently clinked and shifted with the current. As the narrow boat's engine settled into a low, steady thrum, the profound quiet of the river immediately swallowed the mechanical hum, restoring a perfect, undisturbed silence. Dense curtains of ancient weeping willows and overgrown hawthorn leaned heavily over the banks, casting cool, dappled shadows that wrapped the floating decorator in a lush, peaceful tunnel of green.

Original available for purchase:

60 x 42 CM oil on stretched canvas. £245