"Seagulls over Arundel" Painting the river at Arundel in West Sussex

Arundel, West Sussex

We recently visited Arundel in West Sussex .
 A very old picturesque town that is dominated by the castle on the hill.
We were there to have a look around the classic MG car show which was being held in the castle grounds.

Classic MG's at Arundel show

The cars looked great, especially surrounded by such wonderful scenery.
 Afterwards, as it was such a lovely day, a stroll along the river bank seemed the ideal thing to do.
The view towards the town was to be the subject of my painting.
 I loved the reflections on the river, the little boats gently bobbing on the water and the seagulls swooping in to find tasty morsels left by sightseers. It was all so colourful....
                                        "Seagulls over Arundel"
                            Acrylic on box canvas 24" x18"x 1.5"

Painting  of Arundel and the river

                                                                     

"Blackcap" Walking and painting the South Downs of Sussex

Blackcap on the South Downs

Spring has arrived!
 At last we have some good weather days to be able to go exploring again.
I chose a good clear day and decided I would take a walk along the South Downs just west of Lewes.
Starting at Offham I headed west over Mount Harry and on to  Blackcap, at 676ft this was a very steep walk!
 It was all worth it as the views were stunning. You get glimpses through the valleys of the coast to the south and wonderful panoramic views of the Sussex Weald to the north.
At the top is a small wooded area planted to commemorate the Queen's coronation...

Commemorative stone at Blackcap

At this time of year the fields below are a dazzling patchwork of fresh greens and bright yellow crops of rape which look just amazing in the sunshine...

Rape crops in the Sussex Weald

 The next part of my journey was all down hill....a very long way down hill !
 It was the part I enjoyed the most.
 A well walked chalk path twisting and turning down the steep slopes of the South Downs as if it would go on forever!

The chalk track down Blackcap

It was the view from the bottom of this track that inspired my painting.
 Views of the Sussex Weald, rape crops and the chalk path...Spring has definitely arrived!
                                    "Blackcap Down"
                                                Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24"x1.5"

The view from the path coming down from Blackcap

Painting the "Chapel Hill Rooftops" of Lewes, Sussex

Chapel Hill, Lewes, Sussex

On a recently sunny day we decided to head for the Southerham nature reserve at Lewes. It's an area well known for it's butterflies and wild flowers. It's also very high up! Although the weather was lovely it was also very misty so we missed out on the extensive views from the top. I intend to return in the Summer when the area will be at it's best and hopefully get some wonderful photos!

Southerham nature reserve, Lewes

Reaching the reserve requires a very steep climb up Chapel Hill, not for the faint hearted but the views are spectacular over the town and far beyond. It's certainly  well worth the effort..

Views from Chapel Hill, Lewes

It was the hill that became the subject of my painting. The houses are very old and the view over the rooftops of the town is wonderful, such a lovely mix of architecture!
 Just a short way up the lane stands a bent lamp post that seems to fit the scene perfectly. I would love to know how it ended up that way, perhaps the result of drunken revelry from  bonfire nights past?
With so many buildings in the view it was quite a challenging composition and has taken a while to complete. But I'm glad I chose it :)
                                             "Chapel Hill Rooftops"
                                              Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 18"x 1.5" 

The view from Chapel Hill, Lewes