Fenlands vista

A prospect of Ely cathedral

Annihilation of Time and Space

One of a series of paintings by Tarragon depicting the semi-abstracted view seen from the window of a speeding train.

work in progress

work in progress

Resting on a shelf in Tarragon's studio.

Annihilation of Time and Space

Tarragon painted a series of the landscapes visible from the window of a high-speed train. Travelling from London to Paris, he was struck by how the broad spaces of northern France were reduced to an impressionist smear by the speed of the train.

The pale form in the left hand sky is a reflection on the train window.

Oaks and Wrapped Sign

Tarragon offers an English landscape of pared-down simplicity.

Anna in a striped dress

A quick photo of a painting in progress. The dress will be in colour, and the big rectangle will too - it will be a hanging carpet of some sort. The pineapple like object will probably become a bust - but we'll see.

Plan B

"I've always rejected being understood. To be understood is to prostitute oneself." So said Fernando Pessoa, one of the 20th century's most awkward writers. Also one of the most easily quoted.

He used a thousand different voices to say one thing, and that thing is about human loneliness. Many would prefer to be a prostitute than to be alone.


He said it in The Book of Disquiet, chapter 128. He goes on "I've always rejected being understood. To be understood is to prostitute oneself. I prefer to be taken seriously for what I'm not, remaining humanly unknown, with naturalness and all due respect. Nothing would bother me more than if they found me strange at the office. I like to revel in the irony that they don't find me at all strange. I like the hair shirt of being regarded by them as their equal."

annihilation of time and space

Seen from the window of a high speed train, the world becomes somehow unreal, like the cells of an old hand-made cartoon.
The landscape, if it actually exists, is in France. The train was a TGV. The picture was painted later.

An annihilation of time and space

From the window of a high speed train, the world becomes a smear that verges on the abstract. Thankfully, the angularity of human constructions - in this case wind turbines - provides some punctuation.

This is the ninth in a series of nineteen paintings.

Portrait of Rachel

One part of a portrait triptych by Tarragon, who was channelling Alex Katz when he painted it.

She could have been a Della Robbia

Green field with sheep

sharp-eyed card

red hair, white wall

A snapshot at Tarragon's studio.

Sleep Well My Lovely

Girl in blue

Tess of the d'Urbervilles

The story of Tess is one of my favourites. Most women distrust the expectations of men who have fallen in love with the protagonist of this book. Well they might. Most men respond to that distrust with the blunt retort of, "baby, I'm no Angel."

Please excuse the glare. It's the aura of light that follows Tess around. She can't help it.

Charlotte Passing

A portrait sketch in oils by Tarragon Smith.