Algorithms, AI and painting.

 It's now mid February and yet again it's been quite a while since I visited my blog . I tell myself off about this every time and really must make more of an effort ! 

Winter's been dreary , wet and sadly very uninspiring so there's been no walking. The paths are boggy and the rain is relentless ! 

I've been reflecting on things  in my art world recently. So much has changed over the past 5 years . I see galleries closing and artists like myself struggling to make sales.  Once I was selling 1-2 paintings a month which kept me nicely ticking over . Now it's one every 3-4 months which makes it very hard and I wonder how long I can continue. 

It seems to be all about algorithms and  AI .  

It's getting harder and harder to get your art seen . AI only seems to pick up  new posts and information , in no time at all you're yesterday's news .  It's fine for those that are constantly attatched to social media but I'd rather spend my time out in the tranquility of  countryside when I'm not  painting.  

The online galleries have always been a good sales platform for me but I think that they too are no longer getting the views that they used to . As a result some are now having to  raise their fees, commission rates etc .  On average an artist only gets  around  50-60%  of the selling price of a painting  and that has to cover materials , overheads and gallery subscription fees etc.  Being an artist is NOT an easy life ! 

Many artists supplement their income by teaching which keeps them afloat. It's something that just wouldn't work for me though   , I'm just not a teacher . 

I'm really not sure what the future holds .

 I love painting, it's what I do . 💗

With that in mind I have been "escaping" the dreary weather by forward thinking to the brighter days of Spring  . 

Firstly a small acrylic painting (35cms x 25cms) of the Cow Parsley and fields at the bottom of Ditchling beacon , lots of lovely lush Spring greens! 

                                                            "Spring Pastures"

Original acrylic painting of the  Spring pastures and fields  at the base of Ditchling beacon  

 Next I thought I would paint the beautiful Bluebells ,such  wonderful scented memories from a forest walk last Spring at Warninglid.

 A little bit of serene forest bathing in the middle of a hetic world . 

 I have composed a short poem to accompany it , I hope you like it .

                                                             

                        "Let's escape this dreary day and walk along the forest path, .

                                                    where Bluebells flower ,

                                                          in scented breeze,

 

                                        where leaves unfurl among the trees. 

 

                         Let's escape this dreary day and walk along the forest path,

 

                                                         in sunlight haze,

 

                                                       whilst songbirds sing ,

 

                                     where we'll delight in days of Spring. "

 

 

                                           "Forest Ways and Bluebell Days" 

                                                             Acrylic on canvas 24" x18"

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                                 Painting of the Bluebells along the forest path. Acrylic on canvas 

                 If you wish to purchase this painting or see more of my available works please visit my 

                                        Arts2Arts  page  .  Paula Oakley Original Art

 

 

 

Painting the South Downs in the Summer

Phacelia fields at Storrington 

     Paintings for sale
Oh my ! What a lovely Summer we're having ! So much glorious sunshine  ! 

 I've been busy making the most of it with lots of walks, except on the days that got a bit too hot! Phew!  

Here are just three of my favourites .....

Storrington .... 

This year we've been treated with the pretty purple fields of the Phacelia crops.  It's a green manure crop and the insects love it ! 

A visit to the South Downs at Storrington turned out to be a perfect day. Blue skies ,  fabulous flufy fair weather clouds , Phacelia and so very many wild flowers ...heaven 

The South Downs at Storrington 

 Most of the views that I paint tend to be in various shades of green so a touch of purple made a nice change 

                                                    "Phacelia to the Sea" 

"Phacelia to the Sea" Acrylic painting on canvas 

Hastings....
The weather rapidly grew hotter and a trip to the seaside was needed.  Hastings gave me another opportunity  to have some fun with different colours . I love  painting a bit  of seaside fun but it's really hard to get good reference photos. You just can't creep up on people on a pebble beach ..Crunch...Crunch....Crunch ..ha ha!  

These three  really caught my attention and was such a joy to paint 

                                       "A Nice Cup of Tea by the Sea" 

"A Nice Cup of Tea by the Sea" Acrylic seaside painting on canvas 

  Woodingdean....

My most recent walk too me around the harvest fields on the South Downs near Woodingdean. The paths take you around the old lost village of Balsdean and it's a wonderful peaceful place to walk.   

I headed down through Castle Hill nature reserve which was a delight of wild flowers and butterflies 

Heading down Castle Hill nature reserve 

On reaching the bottom I was greeted with the earthy colours of the Flax fields , now gone to seed and dotted with red Poppies . I don't know why but for some reason it made me think of a fabric design .  I rather liked it . 

Flax fields and Poppies 

 I have many more photos from this walk which can be found here Balsdean walk
 

                 The sky was full of Seagulls, I guess there had to have been about 700 ,  I've never seen so many ! 

I loved the views and would happily have spent all day there .  Painting it means I've kept the memory of that day to revisit whenever I wish  ...perfect .

                                                "The Harvest Path"  

"The Harvest Path" Painting the South Downs at Woodingdean 

 

 

 

 

 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"

"Springtime Yellow"

Yellow rapeseed fields

For my latest painting I decided to stay with the beautiful yellow fields of the oil rapeseed crops. Due to crop rotation the opportunity doesn't arrive every year, in fact I've waited 2 years for some good local displays.
My walk took me to the western outskirts of Lewes in the early hours of the morning. The colours were stunning and the frequent slopes that my path took were ideal for capturing the curves and contours of the South Downs.

Views from my walk among the rapeseed crops on the South Downs

It's great to use such vibrant colours , Spring is a delightful season !

                                          "Springtime Yellow"
                        Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Springtime Yellow" Painting the yellow rapeseed fields on the South Downs at Lewes, East Sussex 

                                    https://www.artfinder.com/product/springtime-yellow/

"Downland Dawn" and "Old Spot and Spuds"

Walking up Kingston ridge with views towards Lewes, Sussex

My painting world has been so very busy over the past couple of months . It's now nearing the end of November and this year's sales now amount to 37....that's just brilliant!
 I always paint what I want to paint rather than creating something  because I think it would sell, so it's very reassuring to know that  my artwork is well received.

We've been fortunate with the weather this Autumn so a couple of weeks ago I decided to take one last  South Downs walk of the year . I wanted to see the sunrise but unfortunately I had no way of getting there quite that early.
I caught the 7am bus to Lewes and headed off along the old Juggs road towards the village of Kingston. By the time I reached the bottom of Kingston ridge the sun was just above the horizon . It was a beautiful morning, no breeze, blue skies and a low lying mist hovering over the hill tops.

The view south east from Kingston ridge looking towards Beddingham

It's not the easiest of walks as it's pretty steep but the views were splendid !
As the sun rose it gradually lit my path ahead causing the grass covered slopes to almost glow . This would be my fondest memory of my walk and my wonderful  inspiration !

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

"Downland Dawn" Acrylic painting of the path up Kingston Ridge

 I continued along the top for about 3 miles before returning. By this time the mist had cleared so on my return to Lewes I stopped to have my lunch by Ashcombe windmill. It has recently been restored and this was the first time I had seen it with it's new sails...looks rather magnificent ....

Ashcombe windmill, Kingston

 Now, just I was preparing to paint "Downland Dawn" I received a request for 2 paintings. I don't often take on commissions. They can often come with such a long list of requirements that the whole thing gets to feel rather laboured and the enthusiasm wanes . These however were not only local subjects and views that I am familiar with but also fitted perfectly with the compositions that I have been working on this year. To top things off I was entrusted to do things "my way". 
The first subject is the farm shop in the village of Piltdown "Old Spot Farm Shop" . It sells a splendid range of quality and locally sourced food. Well worth a visit if you're in the area http://www.oldspotfarmshop.co.uk/
As you know I'm rather partial to a good ale but a good Sussex cheese comes a very close second!

  It's a unique building  .Looks like a Swiss chalet  in the heart of Sussex .  I love the quirkiness , the colours and it's originality. Autumn also seemed a perfect time to paint it ...harvest time ....
                                            " Old Spot and Spuds" 
                                                      Acrylic on canvas 32"x 16" 

"Old Spot and Spuds" Acrylic on canvas

 Behind the farm shop the view takes you over the trees and fields to the village of Fletching. This was the second painting. The contrasting shapes and colours of the Autumn trees with the farms and church spire in the distance....
                               
                                                    "Fletching Views"
                                                       Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Fletching Views"

 As I said, life's been busy and as much as my gallery needs stocking back up I have decided to have a painting break . I'm now busy cleaning through the house and getting ready for the oncoming celebrations of my birthday and Christmas....life is good! 

 

Feature and flowers. Painting the wild flowers of the South Downs

Wild flowers on Mount Caburn, Lewes, Sussex

I think this Summer I have become obsessed with the wild flowers !
I am just in awe of their beauty and have sat for hours taking in my colourful and aromatic surroundings .

Wild flowers on Mount Caburn

Then of course there's the butterflies! So many and so many different varieties . I do however have a favourite.
 It is the small Chalk Hill Blue .

Chalk Hill Blue butterfly

To me it symbolises my return to Sussex ( I lived elsewhere for 30 years) the South Downs and the wonderful events that have happened since being back .

My recent walk took me up the slopes of Mount Caburn, part of the South Downs on the outskirts of Lewes.
 It's like being on top of the World and on a clear day you can see forever! Well....nearly.

View south towards Newhaven from the top of Mt. Caburn

With so much inspirational choice I decided to paint 2 larger compositions, each measuring 30" x 20" and both acrylic on canvas...

                                                     "Chalk Hill Blue"

"Chalk Hill Blue"

 "The Summertime slopes of Mount Caburn on the South Downs in Sussex. Here a carpet of beautiful wild flowers flourish among the grass and Chalk Hill Blue butterflies delightfully dance and flutter in the sunshine.
This painting is highlighted with tiny flecks of metallic paint that gently catch the light of the summer sunshine."


                                                         "Wild Summer"

"Wild Summer"

 
The scent of wild flowers fill the air as Peacock butterflies dance in and out of the colourful blooms. Summertime on top of the South downs in Sussex with breathtaking views towards Firle beacon.
This painting is highlighted with tiny flecks of metallic paint that gently catch the light of the summer sunshine."

 To top off my wonderful Summer I am delighted to announce that this month the Artists and Illustrators magazine have given me a full page feature ! WOW! 

My feature in this month's Artists and Illustrators magazine

                                     "

"Buttercups and Brooks" (Rodmell and Lewes, East Sussex)

Lewes Brooks

In the middle of the South Downs on the south side of Lewes is a flood plain where the River Ouse takes it's last journey before reaching the sea at Newhaven.

The River Ouse and Mount Caburn in the background

The area is made up of fields and drainage brooks and is a haven for wild birds.

To the west the picturesque villages of Iford, Rodmell and Southease are nestled at the base of the Downs with their chocolate box houses and narrow country lanes.

Iford and Rodmell

 I left Rodmell and walked along a chalk track heading towards the river, June brings the fields alive with a multitude of golden buttercups set off by the vertical reeds and grasses that line the brooks.
It looked so pretty in the sunshine!  Looking back at the village all you could see were a few roof tops and a glimpse of the church. A lovely composition to paint.

                                          "Buttercups and Brooks"
                                            Acrylic on box canvas 12"x 16"x 1.5"

"Buttercups and Brooks" Acrylic painting of Rodmell and Lewes brooks

 On my last visit to this area I painted Southease as seen from Itford Hill....
"Summer over Southease"
                                            

"Mount Caburn Views" Painting the view of the Sussex Ouse valley

Mount Caburn, Lewes, Sussex

My walk this week took me to the top of Mount Caburn on the outskirts of Lewes.
 At 480ft it is an isolated peak with an iron age fort at the top.
 It is a National Nature Reserve with an abundance of beautiful wild flowers.
 My walk took me through pretty wild orchids and scented meadow sweet swaying gently with the delicate grasses in the warm Summer breeze.
It was a perfect day of blue skies and sunshine with superb views over the Sussex Weald.
Westwards  takes you to Glynde and along past Firle Beacon on the South Downs

View of Firle Beacon and Wilmington from the top of Mount caburn

Southwards overlooks the village of Beddingham nestled at the bottom of the Downs

Beddingham, Sussex

But it was the view South West that really made the walk worth while.
The River Ouse leaves Lewes and meanders down the valley past the picturesque villages of Rodmell, Southease and Piddinghoe, finally reaching the sea at Newhaven in the far distance.
As a young child I lived on farms in this area and enjoyed walks along the riverbank as much as I do today.
                                            "Mount Caburn Views"
                              Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 20"x 1.5"

Painting the view south from Mount Caburn

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

"Summer Green" Summer painting of the South Downs

To beat the Winter blues I've decided to go back to Summer!
Days of wonderful sunshine, blue skies and lush greens, blanketing the South Downs .
  A beautiful patchwork of fields, meadows and pastures all edged off with the gentle lace flowers of wild cow parsley.....
I know several artists that avoid green, it can be an awkward colour to paint with and can often end up looking dull and lifeless. I think acrylics lend themselves well to this, as layering with various shades of yellow and green keeps the results bright and vibrant.
I started with the South Downs in the distance where the shrubs and trees add to the softness of the slopes...

Next came the patchwork fields, each different in shade and texture...

Finally the foreground is brought to life by the wild, lace- like flowers of the cow parsley...

                                    "Summer Green"
                                  

                                                      Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24"x 1.5"

Summertime in East Chiltington

                                                                  BUY 

"Downland Gold" Landscape painting of the yellow rapeseed fields of Sussex

At last we've had a few days of sunshine, so my sister and I have been out and about exploring the countryside around us.
 We have been following some of the footpaths in our local area which have led us to some delightful scenery and enabled me to take some wonderful reference photographs.
 The meadows are full of buttercups and the fields full of rapeseed crops, beautiful bright yellow everywhere! It's a good job I wore my sunglasses!

                                    "Downland Gold"
                               Acrylic on box canvas 20"x 16"x 1.5"

"Downland Gold" East Chiltington, Sussex

 I'm delighted that this painting has been chosen as Editors Choice in the September 2013 issue of The Leisure Painter magazine