"Standing amongst the palm trees on a clear starry night in Cornwall is a truly magical experience, made even more amazing by the breathtaking sight of the comet Hale-Bopp. As the comet blazed across the night sky it put the curve of the earth and the vast expanse of sky into my mind and this, combined with all the magical colours of Cornwall, is what I have been painting this year. I hope that you will find my paintings full of optimism, fun, joy, happiness, the good things in life, and the colours that may have passed you by. I love to sit by the sea and listen to its sounds, and watch the way in which it reflects the sky. The shimmering light across its surface is truly remarkable and this, combined with the colour of the water, if it is shallow and over white sand, surprises me every time. People are often amazed by some of the colours in my work, but if you look carefully it is all there. Dark shadows are full of blues and purples and a vibrant green contains a myriad of yellows and blues. Sitting on the edge of a Cornish harbour, watching the tide come in really is an experience not to be missed. The water totally changes the harbour; the colours change, the sounds change, you will notice fishermen checking their boats and unloading their catch. Children play games in the water, dogs run around after sticks and balls, and if you are painting sometimes over your work ! I hope that you enjoy my paintings, and that perhaps on a gloomy winter's day one of them may remind you of life beneath Cornish skies."
John Dyer 1997
