Snow at Sheffield Park Gardens

Well, as we don't get much snow I thought I would paint another snowy scene from my walk around the countryside of Chailey where there was just a light dusting for a few hours.
Then....to my amazement.... a couple of days after I started painting the weather turned worse and presented us with several inches of snow!  Oooooh!
Once the showers had stopped the blue skies and sunshine turned the landscape into a wonderful and rather magical sight to see.
I took this opportunity to take a walk with my friend around Sheffield Park Gardens ...

Sheffield Park Gardens , Sussex

It was a lovely day out and the colours were stunning!
On  finishing my painting I thought how perfectly it depicted the week ....
                                          "A walk in the snow" 

"A walk in the snow" Acrylic painting on canvas

 

"Fading Boundaries" Painting the morning mist

Finally January draws to a close.
 It's seemed like long month full of fog and mist and not very good conditions to get out and about with my camera .
One day last week I couldn't even see the house over the road as the mist was so thick, so I decided it would have to be a cleaning day instead. However , just after 9am the sun started to shine through and I found myself spending more time looking out of the window than being productive.
It was no good trying to fight the desire to get out so I grabbed my camera, put on my boots and headed off.
I didn't want to walk far as my ankle is still rather painful after spraining it. With this in mind I decided to take a stroll along one of my favourite paths which is part of the Ouse Valley Way.
The path takes me north of the village through Rotherfield woods. These are lovely woods and have an almost magical atmosphere to them, they are the sort of woods that would make you believe in fairy tales !

Rotherfield woods, Newick (Sussex) 

On the far side  the path leads you to where the River Ouse meanders between the fields and the outskirts of  the Sheffield Park estate (Sheffield Park Gardens) . It's a lovely part of the river , I have spent many Summer days just watching the Dragonflies and Beautiful Demoiselles dance and swoop over the water.  But the Winter brings a different kind of light and it all looks very different.

Winter along the river Ouse

I usually end my walk when I reach the Bluebell Railway but the mist added such a magical atmosphere to the morning that I ventured a little further to explore the other side of the river .
Now my walk took me around the perimeters of  Sheffield Park , best known for it's beautiful gardens  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden
This area is a much more natural landscape than the gardens and a delight to explore...

Sheffield Park, Sussex 

I could have spent all day there but the Winter light fades so quickly and I still had the walk back.
As I was about to leave I met the archaeologist  David Brown, who is working with the National Trust tracing the boundaries of an ancient deer park.
 I didn't realize at the time but this brief meeting would play a big part in my next painting !
On returning home I browsed through my photos and was delighted to discover that I had managed to capture some of amazing misty views that I had seen.
Now it was time to paint! I loved the way that the scenery just seemed to suddenly disappear and I chose a gate and fence to be the subject of my composition....a fence....a boundary....
it was then that I recalled my brief meeting with David Brown and how fitting the idea of the deer park boundaries disappearing just just like my own.....
                                           
                                          " Fading Boundaries"
                                 Acrylic on canvas 24"x 12" 

"Fading Boundaries" Acrylic landscape of a misty morning in Sheffield Park, Sussex

"In the grounds of Sheffield Park estate (Sussex, UK) Morning mist lays heavy over the long forgotten landscape of an ancient deer park. Now new boundaries disappear into a magical and atmospheric view bringing back images of the past.
This painting contains gentle iridescent highlights that catch the light enhancing the "glow" of the early morning mist." https://www.artfinder.com/product/fading-boundaries/

 

"By the water's edge" Painting the wildflowers along the river bank

It just wouldn't be Summer without a leisurely walk along the river.
There are some lovely footpaths on the outskirts of my village that allow me to indulge in some lazy daydreams and riverside delights.
A vast array of wildflowers where dragon flies dart and swoop among the spikes of  Purple-loosestrife and the fluffy scented clouds of Meadowsweet.
Summer at it's best!
I wanted to capture the wildness and colours. The dragonflies are highlighted with metallic blue so that they catch the light, just as they do by the river.

                                               "By the water's edge"
                                        Acrylic on canvas

"By the water's edge" Painting the wildflowers along the river bank

 Close up and wall views....

 Prints, cushions etc available at http://www.redbubble.com/people/poak/works/22704987-by-the-waters-edge?asc=u&p=chiffon-top&rel=carousel

 

"The Colours of May" Painting the countryside in the month of May

The month of May

Last week I took a lovely walk along the country lanes around our village in East Sussex. It was the first time I had been out for a couple of weeks and I was absolutely amazed by how much everything had grown!
The fields were a blaze of golden rapeseed crops that looked stunning, though I must confess that I can't stand the sickly smell of them!
The hedgerows at the moment are wonderful, as the bluebells fade away their place is taken by pretty Red Campions . Most striking of all though is the Cow Parsley, It's flowers seem to hover over the verges like a mist .
May has arrived in all it's glory!  I just had to get the paint brushes out.....

                                              "The Colours of May"
                                         Acrylic on canvas 

"The Colours of May"  Acrylic painting

"Springtime over Fulking" (Sussex). Painting the view from Devil's Dyke, Brighton

Devil's Dyke and Fulking, Sussex

Spring has arrived bringing blue skies and sunshine!
The glorious weather took us off to explore Devil's Dyke just outside of Brighton.
  It's been about 4 years since my last visit and I wanted to take advantage of the good weather to capture the stunning views of the Sussex Weald.
I wasn't disappointed but the wind was so strong and bitterly cold ! We stayed just long enough for me to get some good reference photos (not easy in the wind) and then headed down to explore the villages of Fulking. and Edburton that are nestled at the base of the South Downs.
 The narrow winding lanes took us through the small but pretty villages.
These are the places that we had seen looking west from Devil's Dyke and the subject of my painting.
I wanted to paint this view as not only does it capture the communities that live in the area but also the hills with the South Downs Way heading off in the distance on it's route to Winchester.
A view that goes on forever......

                                           "Springtime over Fulking"
                                                     Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 18"x 1.5"
Work in progress.....

Painting the view over Fulking village (Sussex)

The first few days were spent building up the colours and textures whilst making sure everything was in it's right place. Adding the village was quite straining on my eyes so it was good to hop back and forth between buildings and the earthy grass slopes of the South Downs.
Finally everything came together . I'm pleased with the result and it is a great reminder of our day out where it seemed like we were on the top of the world!
                                         

"Springtime over Fulking" (Sussex) Acrylic painting on box canvas

Wall and close up views

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"Winter Walk" Painting inspired by the early morning frost

Early morning frosty views on the outskirts of Newick, Sussex

Christmas was wonderful but after several days in the house I was glad to get out and about again. We've had a few frosty mornings lately so I decided to venture out for a walk to catch the sun rise and enjoy the tranquility of the countryside on the outskirts of my village.
The low Winter sun and widespread frost revealed a new range of colours to use for a painting.
I love how the landscape changes so much with the seasons and weather and each walk becomes a new inspiration on an old path...
I have chosen to paint a view of the track I followed on the edge of Newick Park Estate. The sun had just started to rise, lighting up my path ahead like a giant candle glowing fiercely  through the trees.

Work in progress... "Winter Walk" Acrylic on box canvas, 18"x 24" x 1.5"

Work in progress..."Winter Walk"

I started by giving the canvas a wash of pink and yellow for the background then painted in the trees in the middle. Once dry 2-3 thin washes of white and yellow were painted over them to knock them back into the distance. Next I repeated this procedure for the tree at the back left.
 Bit by bit I am working towards the foreground adding in the shadows and sunlight as I go.

Working on the foreground 

 This morning I have started to make good progress on the foreground . This area is mostly made up of frost and ice, it's also in the shade so there will be a lot of blue tones to paint in.
The track is created by merging  many small dots of colour, once this is dry I will be able to add the highlights and shading.
Well another day's painting means I have now completed the painting....I hope you like it !
                                    "Winter Walk"
                               Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24"x 1.5"  

"Winter Walk" Acrylic painting on box canvas

                

Painting inspired from a Winter walk on the outskirts of my village of Newick in Sussex

Paintings of Brighton beach, Part 1

Brighton beach

"Oh I do like to be beside the seaside " :)
 So in this wonderful weather that's where I went !
I took myself down to Brighton again whilst the sun was shining. The tourist season is now well underway and the beach is full of fun and colour.
I usually avoid Brighton at this time of year as it gets so busy, but I wanted to capture some Summertime views . I wasn't disappointed and came back with lots of ideas for painting.
There will definitely be two on the easel from my day out.
The first is the carousel that's situated on the beach. Bright, colourful and seaside fun.
                                                "Seaside Carousel"
                                     Acrylic on box canvas 16"x 20"x 1.5"
I loved this view of the carousel as it looks like the horses are galloping out to sea .
A subject with lots of detail and so vibrant!!!
 I started work on the canopy first , there's a lot of lights to paint in so I thought I can skip back and forth to avoid getting bored.

Starting work on the canopy

We now have a heat wave which makes painting with acrylics very hard ! The paint dries on the brush before you can get it on the canvas, especially with the small brushes that I'm using.

Starting to add the horses to the carousel

I have persevered and made a little more progress to the top and also started to paint in the horses.

Painting in the base

Putting in the base means I can now flit about the painting adding bits as I go and building up the layers on the larger areas. I really need to add more of the lights next .

 

Most of today was spent adding the lights! When the canopy is finished I will give it a wash of dark vermilion to put it in the shade. 

.....a few days later.....

The hot weather has meant progress has been frustratingly slow but I have plodded on and finally finished! ....

"Seaside Carousel" Brighton beach painting

                                             
    More paintings of Brighton "Helter Skelter", "Pier View"
                                                  "Brighton pavilion"

"The Ploughing Match" Painting of Shire horses

The South Eastern Shire Horse Show May 2014

The May Bank holiday brought with it  beautiful sunshine, so we took the opportunity to visit the South Eastern Shire Horse show in Surrey.
The show fitted in well with my love of mixing modern day with nostalgia , it was a perfect chance to explore the wonderful array of subjects to photograph and inspire!.
 As my ancestors were all farmers  it was interesting to see some of the old agricultural methods being demonstrated, especially the heavy horses pulling the ploughs. They are magnificent animals and really looked spectacular dressed in all their finery and ornaments.

Shire horses taking part in the ploughing match

With so much choice it was hard to decide on which horses to paint but it was Sid and Sam that really caught my attention. Such rich chestnut colours adorned with blue and white plaits and shiny brasses.
                                     
                                           "The Ploughing Match"
                              Acrylic on canvas board 23"x 18"

Painting of the shire horses at the ploughing match

 

                                                            

Close up and framed views of "The Ploughing Match"

Paintings for sale at https://www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/paula_oakley_2