Spanish Wells · Nassau · Harbour Island · Eleuthera
Four islands. The heat, the wind, the sharks, the gin. One painter standing in the water with a brush.
This collection brings together the full breadth of the Bahamas work — large studio canvases built from sketches and memories, and plein air pieces painted directly on the sand, often with locals drifting through the composition as naturally as the tide itself.
Every work is a one-off oil original, TOAT-certified and ready for professional shipping worldwide. If anything catches your eye, get in touch — I'm happy to talk through any piece personally.
"This piece was painted from the deck of the catamaran Bumble Bee with Tim and Jules. A race to record the light in a classic Bahamas sunset. When I'd finished I rowed over to 'Sapphire' where Jon, Maureen, Mike and Jess invited me aboard and filled me with Gin and Tonic by which point it was too dark to continue."
"I was itching to get back to the studio to put this one together. Sunsets are tricky as they only do this kind of colour for a minute or two — this happened whilst I was on the local ferry to Eleuthera so I got as many photos as I could and planned out this massive canvas to work on when I got home. Photos won't do this justice, it's huge and it glows!"
"I spend most of my very substantial time on the shoreline staring into the water. I'm obsessed with the way light behaves in the shallows. In the Bahamas I took this obsession to a whole new level — the wildlife, the sharks, the barracudas! This concept formed during my trip and I plotted it out on a big canvas when I got back."
"Set up on the decking of Wreckers restaurant in Spanish Wells. I'd met Carolina, the new manager, the day before on the beach. I turned up with all my gear after doing a commission on Russell Island and wasn't expecting to do another painting but the view was magnificent! I had to eat whilst painting this piece!"
"Back on Paradise Island I wanted to capture the kind of image that you'd think of when you tell someone you're flying to Nassau for a beach holiday. I had to sidle in, make a discreet arrangement with one of the hotel staff who set me up with a sun lounger so I could join the holidaymakers and paint them enjoying the beach."
"This was painted knee deep on the shallow beach at the end of a friend's garden. It was classic Bahamas — I didn't try anything fancy or clever. I wanted it exactly as I found it."
"I took a day trip to Harbour Island with some friends. What I did see was incredibly beautiful. Lots of locals came to find me on the dock as I painted this piece. It was a real treat to see so many Frigate birds."
These small-format oils were painted directly on location across the islands — in the shade of a coconut tree, on a ferry dock, knee-deep in the shallows. Each is a TOAT-certified original. Just 30 TOAT Sketches are released each year.
"When I'm painting I don't think about all this stuff, I just paint what I want. Since my work took off I've had to start behaving like a proper artist. The money means I can pursue my art in its purest form so I'm careful to protect my brand. I don't want to peak early, I just want to explore my freedom with the help and support of my collectors.
In 2019, I sold my first painting over the £2,000 mark. Since then, many exhibitions in the Channel Islands, ski resorts and occasionally the Caribbean have driven me to paint bigger, bolder, and more ambitious work than ever before.
Every original in this catalogue is authenticated through my TOAT system — designed to offer collectors a verified record of ownership, direct resale options, and a lasting link back to me. With each year, the gap between supply and demand grows a little wider.
I've built my practice for the long game. If you're reading this, I'd love you to be part of it."
— Tony Parsons, Brighton 2024