A new direction: exploring intimate moments

After years of capturing the expansive landscapes of North Norfolk, I've found myself drawn to the intimate scale of still life painting. My first piece in this new series, "The Reach," marks a departure from the wide Norfolk skies to focus on a single, quiet gesture.

The Reach, Oil on Canvas

The gesture of connection

"The Reach" captures the simple act of a hand moving toward a wine glass—a moment charged with anticipation and connection. Painted alla prima with the same bold, expressive brushwork I use for my landscapes, this piece explores how the most ordinary moments can hold profound meaning.

The painting emerged from my dual passion for art and wine. While my landscapes celebrate the external world that surrounds us, these still life works turn inward to examine the rituals that bring us pleasure and contemplation.

Light in intimate spaces

The same quality of light that transforms the Norfolk marshes and coastal paths also illuminates our daily experiences. In "The Reach," warm light catches the curve of glass and the gesture of the hand, creating shadows and highlights that give weight to this fleeting moment.

This shift to still life allows me to explore texture and form in new ways while maintaining the atmospheric qualities that define my landscape work.

The Reach oil on canvas

A continuing practice

This new direction doesn't replace my Norfolk landscapes—it expands the conversation about light, atmosphere, and human experience that runs through all my work. Whether painting the vast sky over Blakeney or the intimate ritual of reaching for wine, I'm exploring how light shapes our understanding of place and moment.

"The Reach" is now available to view and purchase at VinedMe in Walsingham.

To arrange a studio visit or learn more about this new series, email thesophiawilliams@gmail.com or call 07800590262.