The Quietness that the Stillness of Nature Inspires

Harrismith. A 16 x 20 Acrylic painting of Harrismith Beach,
Barbados by Mark Phillips

 "The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but the wise long for a state of tranquillity." –Swami Rama

The peace and quiet that is highlighted in these St. Philip beach scenes is what the word, paradise means to me. 

This is the latest in my collection of St. Philip Beaches. I have already painted Peat Bay, Skeete's Bay and Bottom Bay.

This was painted from a photograph that I took n December 2017. I was standing on the cliff overlooking Bottom Bay trying to get an unusual shot of the beach when I happened to look the other direction and saw this perfect shot of Harrismith.

Harrismith Beach is located between Sam Lord's Castle and Bottom Bay in the parish of St. Philip. The name Harrismith originates from a town in South Africa founded in 1849 and named after British Governor Sir Harry Smith. It is my understanding that the buildings seen on the cliff were once the site of the Harrismith Hotel. As a child, I always knew the ruins as the Harrismith Great House. 

A 16 x 20 Acrylic painting of Bottom Bay, Barbados by
Mark Phillips

Harrismith Beach was never a regular haunt of mine as a child. Most of my time was spent at Peat Bay, Bottom Bay and even Kitridge Bay even further east. Swimming was not recommended at any of these beaches because of the strong currents offshore and our swimming areas were either Skeete's Bay further North or Crane Beach or Foul Bay to the South.

Like Bottom Bay and Peat Bay,  Harrismith Beach is perfect for relaxation and inward reflection. For someone like me who enjoys their own company more than most, growing up in this part of Barbados was paradise. 

It is my opinion that the way to enjoy Barbados

A 16 x 20 Acrylic painting of Peat Bay, Barbados by
Mark Phillips

is to experience the tranquillity of our more serene beaches. Too much emphasis is placed on the overcrowded beaches of the South and West coasts. It is somewhat of a paradox for me. On one hand, I know that these beaches offer the best of Barbados and I would love to see them shared with the world but on the other hand, I would hate to see them become overcrowded and commercialised. 

The original painting of Bottom Bay has been sold, I am pleased to say, to a local collector. I am always glad when my art ends up in Barbadian homes to be enjoyed by generations of Bajans. Too often our best artwork is bought by visitors who take them away from the island and away from the eyes of Barbadians. Personally, I find this rather sad. That is why I would sell me art to residents of Barbados for far less than I could get for them just for the satisfaction of knowing that they will remain at home. 

“If you have time to chatter, Read books.
If you have time to read, Walk into mountain, desert and ocean.
If you have time to walk, Sing songs and dance.
If you have time to dance, Sit quietly, you happy, lucky idiot.”
― Nanao Sakaki 

As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate the comments and the kind words of encouragement. Until next time when I will share some more of my work and a little about what makes me tick, please leave a comment.  And, I will really appreciate if you share this post with your friends. To make sure that you don't miss any future posts, Please enter your email address in the subscribe by email box on the right.

Mark Phillips

Artist
Email:- mark@phillipsbajanart.com
Website:-www.phillipsbajanart.com
Online Store:- PhillipsArtStore