SIMON GARDEN | Coast Path
Oil on Fresco Panel
64 x 90 cms / 25 ¼ x 35 ½ inches
Signed Simon Garden (on reverse)
Coast Path by Simon Garden invites you to wander along the coastline, where the deep blue sea meets lush, textured landscapes. Garden’s anamorphic perspective creates a cubist style, depicting both a birds eye view and cross section of the sea. use of colour and rich impasto creates a dreamlike harmony, evoking the gentle rhythm of nature. The winding path draws the viewer into a tranquil world where land and water embrace. This captivating coastal painting is a testament to Garden’s poetic vision.
Simon Garden’s Coast Path exemplifies his signature approach to landscape painting—one that blends realism with a dreamlike quality, inviting viewers into a world that is both familiar and surreal. The composition is structured with a deep inlet of blue water framed by textured cliffs and rolling fields, creating a sense of depth and enclosure. The winding pathways that lead towards the sea suggest movement and a journey, a recurring theme in Garden’s work.
The painting is defined by its rich textures and layered application of paint. Garden’s use of thick impasto adds a tactile quality, particularly in the depiction of the land, where small daubs of colour create a mosaic-like effect. This textural richness enhances the organic feel of the landscape, making it appear alive and shifting, as if it exists in a space between reality and memory.
Colour plays a crucial role in the emotional impact of the piece. The deep, vibrant blue of the water dominates the composition, creating a striking contrast with the earthy greens and yellows of the surrounding cliffs and fields. The sea’s surface, composed of countless small brushstrokes, suggests movement and light reflection, drawing the viewer’s eye towards the center of the composition. The cliffs, in stark white, provide a bold structural contrast, reinforcing the dramatic topography of the scene.
Garden often incorporates elements of mystery into his landscapes, and Coast Path is no exception. While the paths are clearly marked, they do not have an obvious destination, evoking a sense of the unknown. The absence of human presence further amplifies the painting’s quiet, contemplative quality, allowing the viewer to project their own journey onto the scene.
In keeping with his artistic philosophy, Garden reduces the landscape to its essential forms, removing unnecessary details to create a distilled, almost meditative vision of nature. His ability to balance abstraction with representation results in a painting that feels both timeless and personal. Coast Path is not just a depiction of a location—it is an invitation to step into a world of introspection, memory, and discovery.
