US
2 MIN READ TIME
SHORT STORY

SHINING LIKE PEWTER

LAUREN SHARP

Outside it smells like rain and wood smoke. I was reluctant to leave the house on this overcast day, but here I am, knowing it will do me good to get out and visit a gallery on the bank of the Thames. The weather has put others off; it’s quiet inside and my shoes squeak loudly on the stone floor.

I’ve always enjoyed these spaces, there’s a calmness to the gallery and no expectation. A couple talk quietly to each other, looking at a painting in the foyer. Their voices are a hesitant murmur as they share their thoughts with each other. The painting is of a large flat lake, the brush strokes so convincing that I’m sure the water is shining like pewter.

Further into the building I follow a white staircase that spirals down. It’s bigger than I remember from my last visit. At the bottom I follow a winding corridor which leads me out into a wood panelled room filled with seascapes. The dark wood and low ceilings make me believe I could be in the belly of a ship. I study the detail of the spray in the painting of a crashing wave. In another picture, Victorian families paddle in the shallows. There is such movement to the swimmers, I can just imagine them bobbing and swaying. I walk slowly from scene to scene, taking in the colour of the water, from deep blues, almost indigo, to the pale turquoise of oceans in bright sunshine.

Read the complete article and many more in this issue of Outdoor Swimmer
Purchase options below
If you own the issue, Login to read the full article now.
Single Digital Issue January 24
 
$6.99 / issue
This issue and other back issues are not included in a new subscription. Subscriptions include the latest regular issue and new issues released during your subscription. Outdoor Swimmer
Monthly Digital Subscription $4.99 billed monthly
Save
29%
$4.99 / issue
Annual Digital Subscription $64.99 billed annually
Save
23%
$5.42 / issue
Monthly Digital Subscription $5.99 billed monthly
Save
14%
$5.99 / issue
PRINT SUBSCRIPTION? Available at magazine.co.uk, the best magazine subscription offers online.
 

This article is from...


View Issues
Outdoor Swimmer
January 24
VIEW IN STORE

Other Articles in this Issue


Editorial
Editor’s Letter
Happy New Year! I hope you had a
DIVE IN
Creativity and Swimming
What’s your favourite swim stroke? Trudgeon, side-stroke or
View From The Water
Simon Griffiths suggests reflecting on the bigger picture when setting your swimming goals for the year
Dulse (Palmaria palmata)
WILD LIFE Illustration: Alice Goodridge Out swimming, you
Living seawalls
ISSUE Wildlife does make use of manmade structures,
WHILE YOU’RE AT THE WATER
NOTICING FROSTY FORMS
The Rivers Trust
It’s exciting to reflect on the theme of
RISING SWIM STARS
Rowan Clarke looks at how swimming inspires filmmaking
SWIM PEOPLE
SWIM PEOPLE
ELAINE HOWLEY • SWIMTERVIEW• SARAH THOMAS SOPHIE ETHERIDGE
WATER DRAWN
From Medusa drying her snakes with a hairdryer to the difficulties of putting your pants on in the cold, Jonathan Cowie talks to artist Nancy Farmer
POET IN PENZANCE
Accidental poet Katrina Naomi shares her creative practice and how swimming helps her out of her head and into her body
STAINED GLASS SWIMMERS
Artist and outdoor swimmer Charlotte Savill starts 2024 in a promising position after featuring in BBC1’s Make it at Market television series. Her work is inspired by wild swims and her own outdoor synchronised swimming. Ella Foote finds out more
THE ART OF SWIMMING
A sampling of master artists who have captured on canvas the allure of water and swimming
Sarah Thomas: Marathon Swimmer
An open water swim in December is a
Adaptive Swimmer: Sophie Etheridge
Discovering the writer in me
COMMUNITY OUR POND JOURNEY
Open water has always held a special place
CREATIVITY: HOW SWIMMING INSPIRES WRITING, POETRY, ART
ITCHEN MENTAL HEALTH SWIMS HOST, RACHEL JONES
Make 2024 your best yet!
Join the Mencap Marvels and swim the English Channel in relay
COACH
COACH
WINTER REFRESHER • MOVE OF THE MONTH BACK
WINTER FREESTYLE REFRESHER: PART 3: USING YOUR ARMS IN FRONT CRAWL
It might seem strange that we only come
KETTLEBELL HALO
PERSONAL TRAINING WITH VIVIENNE RICKMAN
‘BE LIKE WATER’ – A MORNING RITUAL TO PRIME THE MIND FOR CREATIVITY
This month’s edition focuses on creativity. Bodies of
BACK TO BASICS
HOW DO I GET MY FACE IN THE WATER?
You Ask, We Answer!
QUESTION: Hello Cassie, I have been on a
GEAR
GEAR
AFTER SWIM LAYERING
HOW TO WARM UP AFTER A WINTER SWIM
With numb fingers, damp skin and scant shelter, it can be hard to get dressed and warm after a cold water dip. Understanding the benefits of layers and the right materials can make all the difference
LAYERING
★★★★★ Alpkit Kepler Boxers (£29.99) and Vest (£44.99)
KIT WE LOVE...
Outdoor Swimmer love to try out new kit on the market which can be anything from something to wear or a problem-solving creation we never knew we needed. Here is a round-up of what we like this month!
CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE
LOCH LOMOND • BAY OF BANDERAS • EVENTS
GO SWIM LOCH LOMOND
Simon Griffiths travelled to Scotland for a little dip in a big loch
SWIM FOR THE WHALES
Daniel Shailer shares how Stephanie Montero Bending swam across Banderas Bay, Mexico, for the first time, galvanising a community of swimmers
LET’S SWIM!
UK AND INTERNATIONAL EVENT LISTINGS
SWIM ADS
Bude Sea Pool Swim in the Atlantic Ocean
EXPLORE
EXPLORE
Image: Susanne Masters THE SAMLING HOTEL • FLORIDA
WEEKENDING: THE SAMLING HOTEL
In our new travel feature, we visit places that offer weekend escapes with a swimming opportunity. This month, Ella Foote enjoys a cool dip in Windermere with an award-winning warming meal after
FLORIDA SPRINGS REVISITED
Florida’s springs offer paradise. Welling up from the
PATRONS
Thank you to the following individuals who have joined Outdoor Swimmer magazine as Patrons and Super Patrons
SWIM LIFE
SWIM LIFE
MY SWIM STORY• SWIMTERPRIZE WATCH, READ, LISTEN •
My Swim Story:Martyn Webster
Swimming has enriched my life immeasurably in so many ways. I feel that I have gone through many chapters and at each stage swimming has played a part
SARAH TROTTER: SARAH TROTTER ART
Tell us a bit about your swim background.
COMING SOON IN 2024
Weathering Ruth Allen Rocks and mountains have withstood
Löw Tide Böyz, a Swimrun Podcast
The Löw Tide Böyz (Chipper and Chris), a
Watch Read Listen
SWIMMING SCREENTIME Make it at Market Episode 7,
Chat
X
Pocketmags Support