I was sitting in the car, waiting until I was certain the rain had stopped, when I noticed people looking out to sea, taking photographs and exclaiming. When I got out it was obvious why they were staring as the sky was an extraordinary blue while the sun, just breaking through the clouds, had turned the sea to gold.

Down on the beach the scene felt even more like a theatrical event. The waves were unusually quiet and appeared hardly to move, until they curled over and broke at the very last minute. Rain was still visible out at sea and the horizon was sharp and glowing. And best of all the sun continued to shine, keeping me warm the whole time I was painting.