The Watcher's Vantage | Original Painting

Title: The Watcher's Vantage (2025)

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Board

Size: 20cm x 25cm

With The Watcher's Vantage, I wanted to capture not just a pretty view, but the incredible sense of history and the breathtaking feeling you get standing at Fort Rodney on Pigeon Island, Saint Lucia. I used acrylics on this small canvas board, and I focused on making the deep, endless blues of the Caribbean Sea really pop against the rough, weathered stonework of the fortress. I love how the tropical greenery is starting to soften those old walls.

This painting, for me, is a tribute to a crucial moment in history. Fort Rodney is named after Admiral George Rodney, the British commander who used this exact spot in 1782. He monitored the French fleet from right here before launching the attack that led to the famous Battle of the Saintes. When you look at these ruins, you're seeing the remains of those 18th-century fortifications. It was a critical defense and lookout post during the constant fights between the British and French for control of this region.

My goal for the composition was to emphasize how dominant and isolated the fort is, perched high above the sea. The stonework represents endurance and command, while the vast, open ocean symbolizes the unfolding of history and the sense of freedom that defines this island today. Even the small, flat parade ground, framed by those walls, feels significant against that dramatic natural backdrop.

I invite you to pause and feel like you're standing right here with me, feeling the history in those stones and appreciating the enduring, powerful beauty of this important place.