Sign up to the mailing list
Subscribe for exclusive insights
Skip to product information
Matthew Oates Narnia Lake April 2024
£275.00
W 405mm x H 305mm watercolour on 300gsm Fabriano Artistico paper, unframed.
In the spring of 2024, I walked through the ancient trees of Savernake Forest with the naturalist Matthew Oates.
Matthew is a constant source of literary references and stories. At one point, we reached a quiet lake, its glassy surface mirroring the sky. Matthew stopped and pointed toward the water with a knowing smile, “Through that lake is Narnia,” he said, his voice low and certain.
I looked closer, seeing not just a lake, but a portal - a place where imagination and reality blurred. Inspired by that moment, I later painted the scene from memory, capturing the magic of that day and the mysterious promise Matthew revealed. In 2025, we visited Narnia (Narni) in Italy from where the name came.
Matthew is a constant source of literary references and stories. At one point, we reached a quiet lake, its glassy surface mirroring the sky. Matthew stopped and pointed toward the water with a knowing smile, “Through that lake is Narnia,” he said, his voice low and certain.
I looked closer, seeing not just a lake, but a portal - a place where imagination and reality blurred. Inspired by that moment, I later painted the scene from memory, capturing the magic of that day and the mysterious promise Matthew revealed. In 2025, we visited Narnia (Narni) in Italy from where the name came.
FREE DELIVERY!