The Doll on the beach
Artist: Ted Harrison
Materials: Acrylic on canvas with sand.
Year: 2021
Size: 30 × 23 cm
Certificate of authenticity: Yes.
Hand-signed by the artist.
Frame: Yes.
Description:
‘I was walking along Skaw beach in Shetland one summer’s day and spotted a broken doll half-buried in the sand. Where had it come from? Had it been lost by a local child playing or carried here by the sea from Norway, across the water, or even further afield. The doll was missing limbs, but still had hair and a clear half-endearing - half-sinister face. I made some mental notes, did a quick sketch, took a snap on the phone and went home to paint this picture - leaving the doll to its fate. When I had finished the painting I wondered about the background. The next day I went back to Skaw beach near my home in Unst, Shetland, but never found the doll again. So I scooped up some sand and used that for the doll to lie in.’
