Wild Swimmers

The Atlantic has been a back drop to Shaunna’s life growing up in Cornwall, which has informed her ongoing Wild swimmer collection. The works are inspired by our healing relationship with the ocean. How we submerge in to the jewelled greens and blues of the Atlantic can make our troubles seam so much smaller, The Swimmers are often solitary, to highlight  the importance of how spending time alone in nature, has a positive effect on mental wellbeing, offering space for  clarity, reflection and emotional rejuvenation. The swimmers are always looking away from the viewer,  making them only identifiable from their hair colour and skin; this allows the identity of the swimmers to become subjective to whoever is observing. Shaunna feels this allows her audience to opportunity to envisage themselves,  playfully wading in  the dreamy coastal waters on balmy days, offering a much needed therapeutic outlet to the noise of the world.

This ongoing body of work celebrates the indulgences and small joys of being away. Inspired by the phrase “Desserts first,” it places pour anticipation at the forefront, emphasizing the importance of having something to look forward to in order to carry you through the day. It invites the viewer to fully inhabit these moments, rather than constantly seeking the next experience. In a world driven by the pursuit of what is new or better, the series offers a quieter, more meditative reflection on desire and pleasure—a permission to rest, to savor, and to enjoy without explanation. It is an invitation to step outside the rational rules of the mind: to pause, indulge, and simply cut the cake, taking the first slice without hesitation.

Following my intuition, I have created pieces that whisk the viewer into the rituals of leisure: bright blooms greeting you in a sunlit room upon arrival; a pudding trolley rolling to your door with creamy delights; fresh summer fruits and Mojitos in the cabana; the refreshing immersion of a sea swim in Cornish summer tidal pools. The exuberant, almost heightened imagery emphasizes the significance we place on these anticipated moments—the joy, the expectation, the way both mind and body crave them. Everything feels sharper, sweeter, and more alive when you are on holiday. Yet these paintings are not about escape as avoidance; rather, they highlight the permission to rest, to recover, and to inhabit pleasure fully in a world shaped by constant stimulation. By capturing not only the indulgence and anticipation but also the subtle traces of presence left behind, the works celebrate the intimacy, reflection, and quiet sustenance embedded in these fleeting, tender moments.