My goal is to create paintings full of colour, energy, and joy.

My name is Derek Goodchild, and I create seascapes and coastal landscapes using acrylic on canvas. I’m drawn to wild, remote places where the scene is in constant motion: waves crashing, skies breaking open with sudden shafts of light, mountains brooding over rolling surf. There is a contrast here that never fails to inspire me, a balance of chaos and calm that feels alive.

Standing on these shores with my sketchbook or camera, I’m not just collecting references; I’m absorbing an intensity of light, weather, and atmosphere. Every painting carries a piece of that journey, the long drives, the ferry crossings, the hours of patient observation in wild places. The Outer Hebrides, with their untamed beauty and rapidly changing weather, remain my deepest well of inspiration.

My creative process is both disciplined and intuitive. It begins with a fascination for the play of light across water or the way a storm shapes a coastline, constantly searching for an engaging composition. Behind each finished work is a marathon of decisions: mixing colours which stay vibrant, layering paint to capture depth, and risking bold strokes to convey movement. I learned early on my painting journey that large-scale canvases add complexity, the bigger the painting, the more it demands of your energy, focus and courage to keep pushing for something new.

Before pursuing Fine Art full-time, I established my own business in Architectural Illustration, Advertising and Design, where precision was paramount. That experience taught me technical skill, but painting taught me to let go, to embrace the spontaneity that comes with weather, mood, and the moment. Now, each canvas is a record of effort: the hesitation before a brushstroke, the breakthroughs that bring a scene to life, and the quiet joy of seeing a painting finally breathe.