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For a while it seemed as if Summer  was going to go on forever, but all good things come to an end and Autumn  has arrived .  

Autumn in the woods 

 

This year the trees and hedgerows are a mass of berries, nuts and seeds . Nature's colourful jewels . 

  They call it a   'mast year '.  My  paths on  recent walks have been covered in thousands of acorns !  It's made walking rather slippery underfoot and with so many falling I've been hit on the head a few times as well ! I think I need a hard hat ! ha ha! 

Acorns on the footpath 

It's been a long, long time since I have painted a still life composition but with such an abundance of wonderful subject matter I couldn't wait to get started .

I gathered plenty of bits and pieces so that I could try various arrangements . 

My colourful selection of Autumn fruits, nuts and berries 

  I put a selection into an old Sussex earthenware mug and the colours worked together really well . 

It took a long time to paint but I loved every minute and now I get to see the lovely colours of Autumn every day . 

 

Hedgerow Harvest 

"Hedgerow Harvest" Autumn still life painting 

                                                                         

 As usual the weather is rather unsettled which makes planning walks difficult.  I've explored some interesting old woodland where the streams run orange because of the iron ore in the soil 

Woodland stream coloured orange by iron ore 

I also met a vey friendly tree ! Just for a moment I thought it was going to speak to me . Thankfully it didn't as I'm not good at running theses days  

A vey friendly looking tree! 

 I've been on some great walks but It really needs sunshine to see the Autumn colours at their best. 

Fortunately I was blessed with one such day. A day when the sun breaks through the trees resulting in golden highlights ...magical ! 

                                                       "Autumn Alchemy"  

"Autumn Alchemy "  woodland  acrylic painting

                                                            

                                                   "Autumn Amble" 

Painting of horses along the bridleway 

             
                                                                     Paintings for sale

 More photos from my walks can be found here My inspiring walks

 

 Sadly I seemed to have missed most of the Autumn colour this year. Day after day was shrouded in thick mist and fog ! Not the best weather for landscape painting . 

A lot of my time was spent watching the Magpies . They really stood out among the  glorious colours of the leaves on an old Beech tree that stands at the bottom of our garden . In this tree the Squirrels have built several dreys . There are three Squirrels and they spend  all their time running around everywhere gathering nuts etc . They just don't seem to stop !   Whilst they are out and about the cunning Magpies go and forage through the dreys , masses of leaves get thrown out in their quest to find all  the hidden food .  It amused me to see just how smart the Magpies are they became the subject of my latest painting .

                                                             "Magpie Morning " 

                           

Autumn woodland painting "Magpie Morning" 

    This is now available from my Artfinder shop https://www.artfinder.com/artist/paula-oakley/   

I also have a good selection of artworks for sale as prints, cards, bags etc Here

 Paintings for sale  

 It was mid July ....then I blinked and it's now November ! Ha ha, I don't know what happened but the time has flown by ! So what have I been up to ?

Well, although the Summer started off well the weather soon turned rather dreary for the rest of it.

 My walks have been shorter this year and I decided to do more exploring of the access land on The South Downs .  It turned out to be a good idea as I've been able to view the surroundings from different angles and discover more wonderful scenes to paint.  

The Hawthorn berries especially looked good  , bright splashes of vivid red lighting up the grassy slopes  as in my painting below. 

 "Beacon Blaze"

 

Summer ended and Autumn opened it's door . This is the time when bonfire night celebrations start and also time to dress up and enjoy the fun !  My costume is a celebration of Autumn . It was all about experimenting with different fabrics and paints .  

It was a brilliant evening, our village always puts on an amazing event and it was good to be part of it  . If you wish to know more then you can find out here Newick Bonfire Society

Next I took part in the "anonymous heART" project.  This was an art auction to raise funds for heart research . I contributed two 7" x 5" paintings and raised £320 which I was delighted with .

 It's now mid November  and I've been out and about in the woods , exploring new  wonderful paths around mid Sussex

and  painting....of course  :) 

"November Sun " Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18"

 AUTUMN PAINTING 

It appears that my desire to walk and paint is still stronger than to write about it ! Ha ha! Keeping up with my Blog has not been as often as I intended ! I think the problem is that the internet can be all too time consuming and before you know it you've lost half the day. 

Anyway, life is good and I've enjoyed many walks this year discovering new places and paths. 

I was sad to see the Summer end but waited eagerly for the Autumn colours to arrive. But it was a long wait and the trees were reluctant this year to change and drop their leaves. It resulted in just small patches of colour over a long period of time.  I searched various paths looking for areas where the low sunlight broke through the trees. It was not as easy to find such places as I had hoped. I discovered some wonderful woods and  found the perfect bridleway not far from my home ....

Along the Woodland Path

The Woodland Pond

The Autumn Bridleway

December arrived and still many of the leaves hung onto the trees . This turned out to be to my advantage . 

Over the past few years here in mid Sussex the Winters have been bleak and dreary . Barely any frost and only a wish for snow. Imagine my delight this year when snow arrived and turned my surroundings into a Winter Wonderland ! Just wonderful ! 

Snow in Sussex !!!!

The colours of the trees almost glowed and looked stunning . I've only ever painted 4 snowy landscapes so I've been delighted this year to have the chance to take on the challenge and I've loved every moment of it :) 

                                              "Woodland Winter " 

                           Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18"  

Painting of the snow covered woods at Danehill, Sussex

 

Autumn paintings

Autumn seems to have arrived late this year, rather like me keeping up with this Blog ! Ha ha!
I don't think anyone really reads it but it's good for me to be able to look back at my artistic journey. To see what does or doesn't work .
I'm still out walking and posting pictures from my walks on my Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/groups/138021407053592/
I'm also still busy painting and posting my works in progress on my art page here Paula Oakley Art

My Autumn quest started several weeks ago, I was looking for something a little different, a bit more challenging. My travels took me to Ditchling Beacon on the South Downs just as the sun was starting to fade away. The soft evening light was just wonderful , creating a blend of peach and purple hues.
These were new colours for me to explore . I liked the idea of focusing on the South Downs Way sign post as it gave a good sense of direction to my painting

                                     "The Twilight Way" 
                    (Acrylic on canvas 24"x18")

Painting of Ditchling Beacon at sunset

 Then I waited for the trees to change colour...and waited....and waited ...but nothing seemed to happen for ages ! Very slowly the yellows and oranges crept in and very quickly the rain came ! The weather was against me and my walks became few and far between. 
At this time of year I don't venture far from home as the light fades away so quickly and the low sun can make the woods seem very dark and rather eerie ! 
Luckily I am surrounded by beautiful countryside that constantly changes and a delight to see.
I headed to North Chailey and found just what I was looking for to paint .
                                        "Autumn Path" 

Painting the Autumn colours from my walk to North Chailey

  The break in the weather was short lived and once again I was housebound by the rain. I did try a couple of walks but the ground was so very wet and many of my paths were totally flooded . 
Again I waited...and waited until the sun eventually broke through. Once again I headed towards Chailey  where I have several favourite walks.
 There is a gate along one of the paths and whenever I reach it a Pheasant suddenly flies up into the air screeching . It always makes me jump !  Here  the rain had made large puddles that beautifully reflected the trees above. A perfect scene to paint ! 

                                                   "After the Autumn Rain" 

"After the Autumn rain" Acrylic painting on canvas

 

 

Sussex Autumn landcapes

Autumn seemed to take a long time to arrive this year. Then suddenly, for just a few days, the countryside turned into a mass of glorious colour before quickly fading away for another year.
I was lucky enough to have a few sunshine walks during this brief period which gave me some wonderful views to paint.....
The first is from a beautiful walk on the ouskirts of Cuckfield
                                "Autumn Days and Bridle Ways"

"Autumn Days and Bridle Ways" (Cuckfield)

 Second is from an early morning walk around Wivelsfield ...
                                              "One Autumn Morning"

"One Autumn Morning" Wivelsfield)  Acrylic on canvas

  Lastly but not least , from the Sussex Border path walking from Scaynes Hill to Wivelsfield ...
                                                 "Shades of Autumn"

Autumn painting "Shades of Autumn" (Scaynes Hill)

  With Winter now approaching I struggle with the weather and light . It gets harder to get good reference photos for painting. So....I've decided to paint a few more still life subjects and a bit of Summer fun now again :) 
                                                "Waiting for an ice cream" 

"Waiting for an ice cream" A fun and colourful Summer painting

  Oh....and that reminds me....I'm delighted that my painting "Joan and Nancy's trip to the seaside" has been chosen by the Artists and Illustrators magazine to be included in their 2019 calender....I'm August....perfect! :) 

Artists and Illustrators 2019 calender

 

Painting the Autumn colours

Autumn

Autumn has arrived and the trees seem to be changing a bit earlier this year.
October has been very mild so far with no sign yet of early frosts or gales.
I have lots of places near to where I live that are perfect for Autumn walks , especially in the early morning sunlight. A lovely combination of farmland and woods.
Last week I explored a couple of new paths around North Chailey . I walked into a field where a herd of deer were grazing but unfortunately they spotted me before I could photograph them !  I didn't have much luck with the pheasants either but I found some lovely views .

North Chailey

My route to me through the tree lined paths on the edge of Chailey common. The path gently twists and turns and the morning light made it just perfect!

                                                   "Autumn Arrival"
                                   Acrylic on canvas 18" x 24" 

"Autumn Arrival" Painting the Autumn colours of the Sussex countryside

  

"Autumn Highlights" Painting the colours of Autumn

Autumn around the fishing lakes at Horsted Keynes

It's been a rather busy week.
 My husband took a week off work which meant  I had good company to explore with and my painting "September Downs" is featured in this month's "Inside Sussex Magazine" and "Inside Kent Magazine" .....excellent!

Top left . "September Downs"

Between trips out I have been continuing with the Autumn paintings . The weather is unpredictable for planning walks and the seasonal colours will not be around for long.
I decided to to be slightly less obvious and chose to paint the conifer trees that looked so magical in the early morning mists in the woods nearby....

                                                "An Evergreen Autumn" 
                                       Acrylic on canvas 24" x 12" 

"An Evergreen Autumn"  Acrylic painting on canvas

Then the sun came out!
 We headed off to Horsted Keynes to find the fishing lakes. They are old hammer ponds that lie just south of Broadhurst Manor, a beautiful old building one occupied by my husband's ancestors ...

Broadhurst Manor, Horsted Keynes
   
The walk along the lakes is part of the "Sussex Border Path" and totally delightful!

 The bright sunshine really brought out the colour of the trees and their reflections creating so many  perfect scenes to paint ! 

"Autumn Highlights"
Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"
  

"Horse Chestnut lane" Painting the colours of Autumn

Early Autumn around the village of Scaynes Hill.

I've spent the past couple of weeks exploring some of the footpaths in the near by villages of Chailey and Scaynes Hill.
 Paths that take me in and out of East and West Sussex.
Heading out before sunrise meant that I could catch the early morning light  and some splendid views...

Views from my early morning walks

The leaves are only just starting to change and I'm looking forward to revisiting these paths when they are in full Autumn colour.
 It's the Horse chestnut trees that always seem to be the first so you can imagine how delighted I was to find a path in Scaynes Hill that took me along a lane edged with a line of fiery conker trees !
An ideal view to become the first of this season's paintings ....
                                     
                                                "Horse chestnut lane" 
                                         Acrylic on canvas

"Horse chestnut lane" Painting the Autumn colours from a walk around Scaynes Hill, Sussex

 

"Downland Haze" Painting the South Downs

Early Autumn on the South Downs in East Sussex

Autumn has arrived ! The trees are only just starting to change colour and the sun is still shining!
This time of year can be rather bland and colourless so my explorations ....be they small ....took me to the South Downs at Berwick in East Sussex
Here a mixture of sea mists , low cloud and sunlight cover the South Downs with a soft  Autumn  haze.
The fields have been recently ploughed and I just love the white glow of the chalk soil !
Among the picturesque surroundings you will find the pretty little church of Berwick. If you are interested in the Bloomsbury Group then this church is a must ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomsbury_Group  
  They painted the interior with beautiful murals .....

Berwick church, East Sussex

Paintings at Berwick church

Any way....back to the painting. It's the chalk white views that really caught my eye and a lovely old farm cottage in the middle of it all set the scene perfectly!

                                            " Downland Haze"
                                Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Downland Haze" Autumn painting of the South Downs in East Sussex

This is the same place that I painted a couple of weeks ago but last time the view was from the top of the South Downs looking towards the house and church

                                                 "September Downs"

"September Downs" Acrylic painting of the South Downs at Berwick

                                                *****
Now, on another note, due to past problems (loss, damage etc ) I lost confidence in  shipping abroad. However there has been such a large amount of requests that I have now joined an online gallery that will deal with all the things that tend to stress me out . So please visit my gallery to see what's available ..... thank you ......https://www.fineartseen.com/artist/paula-oakley-original-art/