I first visited Germany in June 1981, having been invited to visit the Baltic island of Fehmarn, by two wonderful art collectors who lived in Puttgarden.
They wanted me to visit this very special island, which had previously attracted and inspired the German Expressionists, and members of Die Brücke, such as Nolde, Pechstein and Kirchner. Many lived on the island, painting the Staberhuk lighthouse, and the coastlines of the Steilkuste and Katherinenhof. Largely unchanged, the same areas inspired so many of my seascape oil paintings of Germany.
The flat landscape of Fehmarn, being very close to Denmark, captivated me, and, for over 25 years, I painted around the island, experiencing all the varying seasons. From stormy winters with rolling Baltic seas, gales and bellowing foghorns at night, to the bright yellow rapeseed crop in May and June, the vivid blue sky giving a sharp contrast to the vast swathes of gold and the honey-sweet scent in the air. My seascape paintings of Fehmarn became the focal point of much of my German art, with low horizons and sailing boats, glorious sunsets and huge skies.
The main town on the island, Burg auf Fehmarn, was also home to the Burg Galerie, which became my main art gallery in Germany, the owner managing and organising exhibitions in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and other locations throughout Germany. Often hosted by large institutions, such as Deutsche Bank, Merck Finck and Kreissparkasse, my art exhibitions were enthusiastically supported by many art collectors, who have remained loyal over the following decades.
Apart from painting the island of Fehmarn, Schleswig Holstein and the Hochwasser Bucht, near Kiel and Eckenforde, I painted and exhibited in the North Fresian Islands of Föhr and Sylt, as well as Hamburg, and Bavaria, notably areas around the Starnbergersee, Amersee and the Black Forest.
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