A Chilly Paddle – Sam Toft
Ernest and Violet have never let a little cold water dampen their spirits. Hand in hand, they wade into the sea — Doris, their grumpy and rather portly Jack Russell Terrier, splashing in behind them with considerably less enthusiasm. It's a perfectly imperfect seaside moment, full of the warmth and gentle humour that makes Sam's world so irresistible.
This open edition mounted miniature print is presented in an antique white mount measuring 24×30cm, with an approximate image size of 12×17cm — sized to fit a standard metric frame.
Sam's 'Meet the Mustards' collection centres on Ernest Hemingway Mustard — part-time Hurricane Predictor and Professional Tuneless Hummer — and his dear lady wife Violet. They live in a not-so-damp flat on the Brighton/Hove border with Doris, their grumpy and rather portly Jack Russell Terrier. Along the Prom they have gathered a wonderful circle of friends: the beautiful Audrey (could she be Ms Hepburn reborn as a sheep?), Horace Duck, and the lovely Rover, a melancholy goldfish with tunnel vision and a good heart. Using mixed media — pencil, oil pastels, coloured inks and her own idiomatic techniques — Sam depicts a seaside world of faded ice-cream colours where the breeze is always blowing and life is utterly delicious.
The Braithwaite Gallery has been lucky enough to work with Sam for a very long time. She sometimes comes to York for exhibitions, sometimes just to say hello, and she has always been wonderfully generous with her time and talent. In 2020 she created ‘Looking After Each Other’ in memory of Jake Braithwaite, helping us raise £5,000 for mental health charity Mind. The gallery and its artists have since gone on to raise almost £19,000 for PAPYRUS, a charity focused on the prevention of suicide in the young.
🖼 Framing is made to order in our gallery workshop — we can only frame this print if the Mounted version is currently in stock. If the Mounted variant shows as unavailable, the Framed option cannot be fulfilled. Please contact us before ordering if you are unsure.
Approximate Measurements
- Mount size: 24×30cm
- Approximate image size: 12×17cm
© Sam Toft
