I was on a painting trip at the end of May 2026 on a hot summers day with The London Plein Air Painters in Dorset at Lulworth Cove. I walked down to the beach and spotted crowds of children milling around the rock pools on the right hand side of the cove. I thought it would make a lovely subject and the colours of the childrens clothes were beautiful against the rocks. I started sketching using a brush pen in black ink focusing on simplifying the scene.

As I was painting a black and white sketch a woman approached me as she had been watching me drawing as I was focused on her kids in the rocks in front of me. We got chatting and I showed her the sketch of her children. Then the children came over and we chatted and laughed for the rest fo the afternoon. One of the girls was very keen on art and disapeared for a while. She suddenly appeared later and presented me with a stone she have painted with a seagul and the words 'Be kind'. I was so touched and told her mother Sam. I have the stone in my studio and is now a treasured posession.

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