Painting the River Adur

The river Adur in West Sussex 

 It's early September and after just a few days of rain I'm amazed at how quickly everything is turning green again . 

The heatwaves already feel like a long time ago  instead of the few short weeks that it actually is .  Autumn is creeping in , the days are rapidly shortening and the air is cooler . 

This time last month I was sweltering in the heat whilst busy studying maps , trying to find interesting places for short walks .  Walks without steep hills and with plenty areas of shade . Searching for new views to paint, new inspiration . 

I spotted a path at Wineham in West Sussex . A mixture of bridleway, fields and river . I don't know the area which made me all the more curious . 

The countryside all around was parched and scorched , I held no expectations of the river actually having much water in it let alone any living plant life .

The extreme heat had left the ground scorched and cracked 

 Imagine how delighted  I was to discover that I was so  wrong  !  It was beautiful 😍

The Summer blue sky reflected on the lazy water whist the riverbank was a mass of wild plants and flowers . It was an oasis among a world of burnt beige . My photos really don't do it justice , it was one of those days where you had to be there and absorb the sights, sounds and aromas .

Wild flowers and plants along the riverbank 

 

                                  Bold patches of Purple Loosestrife buzzing with wildlife 
 

A quintessential English Summer day by the river  and a total joy to paint . 

                                                       "Riverside Summer " 

"Riverside Summer" Painting of the river Adur in West Sussex 

 

                                

 

Scorching Summer on the South Downs

Summer on the South Downs near Blackcap 

Summer's arrived and what a scorcher it's turned in to !!!  

It seems to be one heatwave after another which has meant that it's far too hot for many walks . Yes, I know I'm wimping it (if that's an actual word) but above 25 degrees and my brain starts to cease functioning .  

There are a few places that I like to walk each Summer , usually in late July or early August  .This year though I decided to do them a couple of weeks earlier and I'm so very glad I did , I saw them at their best before they became so sun scorched . 

 Mount Caburn is always a favourite for the wild flowers and the Exmoor ponies. It varies every year . This July the petrol blue colours of the Viper's Bugloss not only looked amazing but were buzzing with Bees and Hummingbird Hawk Moths , it was quite magical . 

Viper's Bugloss on the path to Mount Caburn 

 

Exmoor ponies on Mount Caburn 

                             More pictures from my walk here Mt Caburn

Another walk took me over the South Downs from Firle to Southease. It's only a short walk but it's so very pretty and has such stunning views!  It was a lovely sunny day although a bit hazy for good photos and the gusts of wind nearly blew me off my feet at times . I didn't expect that . 

It was well worth it as the wild flowers at the top of Beddingham hill were amazing. Especially the Round -Headed Rampion  / The Pride of Sussex . I've only ever seen a few together before but here they were in their hundreds . Sussex at it's best ! 

Round-Headed Rampion 

The Pride Of Sussex on Beddingham hill looking towards Mt Caburn 

 

 Photos from my walk Beddingham

 The green fields were rapidly fading and the harvest fields were golden. This time my walk took me from Ditchling beacon to Blackcap via Falmer . I was surrounded by glorious countryside full of wildflowers, butterflies ,Skylarks and fresh bales of hay .  It was perfect timing and it really doesn't get any better than that . I could have happily stayed there all day just breathing in the scent of Summer.  It was a scene that I just had to paint ..........

                                          "Bales to Blackcap"  24" x 18"   

 Painting the harvest fields on the South Downs near Blackcap 

                                                      Click here for PRINTS

 

As Summer continued it just got  hotter and hotter and my walks got less and less .  I love the sunshine but not the heat. I resorted to short visits to places rather than long walks . 

It was just one heatwave after another and far too hot to go out during the day . Painting became almost impossible with the acrylic paint drying on my brushes before I could even use it ! 

  With windows shut and curtains drawn it felt like home had become a prison . Breaking out at cooler times was a necessity ! 

 One August evening we decided to visit Windover hill ( near Alfriston )  to watch the sun go down.  The land all around was scorched and parched so I was surprised to see so many wild flowers still blooming.  There was a warm breeze and everything around us seemed to glow in the low evening light .  It looked stunning ! 

                                         A Summer evening on Windover hill, Alfriston 

                                   Wild flowers on Windover hill, Alfriston 

As I walked  up the chalk  track I was captivated by the arrival of hundreds of birds. They  flew by me and gathered on the steep escarpment.  I think that they were Rooks but I'm not certain ,they were getting ready to head off to roost for the night.  
                                       

Hundreds of birds gathered on this steep escarpment . 

                             It was quite a sight to see and made the Summer evening even better . 

Watching the sun set from Windover hill 

                                                               

                                                  It had been a lovely evening and a joy to capture on canvas 

                                                          "The Gathering and the Gold "

                                                              "Warm breeze, Summer sun ,

                                                                  gathering Rooks, day is done.

                                                               Downland slopes, all ablaze ,

                                                                  golden fields, harvest days " 

                                              

Painting of the birds gathering at sunset on Windover hill, Alfriston . 

 

 

 

Walking and painting the Bluebells in Sussex

Bluebell wood 

 Spring has sprung and the Bluebell season has arrived . I've been caught out this year as the Bluebells are about 2-3 weeks earlier than other years and I hadn't any walks planned.  

Luckily I'm surrounded by many ancient woods where the Bluebells flourish and look amazing !  I live just 2 miles from the Bluebell railway and many of my walks are also part of theirs . 

Bluebell Railway walks  

What I really want for a painting is when the trees are covered in their fresh green leaves whilst the flowers are still out. It's a very short period and depends on the weather  but I don't think I'm going to be lucky this year .

Path through the Bluebells 

 I also visited Gravetye estate where a circular walk takes you past a lake and through woodland , it's a lovely area to walk which can lead to a variety of other paths .   More information and map can be found here Gravetye estate it could also be combined with a visit to the Bluebell railway at Kingscote .

The lake on the Gravetye estate 

 

Bluebells at Gravetye 

 

                     For now I just have the one  Bluebell painting 

                                                     "Forest Ways and Bluebell Days"

                                                      

 Painting of Bluebells in forest 

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

 

 

 

My next walk took me to Firle beacon which gave me views north over the Sussex weald and south towards the sea. For painting inspiration I was rather spoilt for choice! 

Views from Firle beacon

I have walked here many times but today I wanted to spend some time exploring the access land.  

I started at the car park, making my way through the cows that didn't seem to be bothered about anything much, they were just chilling out in the sunshine.

Then as I approached the beacon I spotted a Kestrel . I sat and watched it hover in the air for what seemed like ages before it swooped off down into the long grass way below . It's moments like this that I love about the South downs.

Reaching  the access land I discovered just how steep it was . It wasn't an easy walk but the views made it all worth while. In fact it was so steep that I had to hold on to tufts of grass to help me climb back up ! The older I get the steeper the hills get !  😂😆

I was glad to reach the gate at the top of the path . It's obviously not walked very often as I then had to beat my way through overgrown Gorse bushes and Stining nettles . I felt like the Indiana Jones of Sussex ! Ha ha!
It was all good though and my walk down to Firle was edged with beautiful Orchids .

I have several views to paint from this walk,  but I thought the first would have to be the stile that I struggled to get back from . It just  seemed to perfectly  capture my day .

                                                "The Path Less Trodden"

Painting of the view from Firle beacon . Acrylic on canvas

 

 Well I'm fed up with the dreary Winter weather so I've decided to fast forward to the Spring .  It's my favourite time of the year when the countryside  bursts into life and glorious colour! 

I've chosen a view from a lovely morning walk through a woodland in North Chailey near to where I live. 

"A beautiful Spring morning walk through the woods. The morning sun lights up the fresh green foliage on the trees whilst the path ahead is edged by the heavenly scent of bluebells ".

                                   "Through the Woodland Blue"  Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18"

 Painting in progress 

                          "Through the Woodland Blue"

 "Through the Woodland Blue"

 August brings with it another heatwave, it's just far too hot for me to go walking .

  The land is so scorched and dry ! I feel I should be stocking up on shades of brown paint :(  

Thankfully I'm well stocked up with reference photos to keep me going. I've been busy painting a scene from my walk over the South Downs near Alfriston. It was such a lovely day , the views over the Sussex weald and the downs were amazing!  

                                            "Summer Days and Pathways" 

Painting of the view from my walk near Alfriston.

 

 

Another of my wonderful walks was around Pycombe. I took a circular walk from the Jack and Jill pub at Clayton which took me past Wolstonbury Hill to Pycombe where I joined the South Downs Way. It was yet another hot day and I have to admit that it felt like a long trudge to get to the top of  West Hill !

 I was glad to take a break at the top  where I was greeted by the stunning views that seemed to go on forever!  To the south was the distant sea .....

View towards the sea from West Hill at Pycombe, Sussex 

...and to the West I found myself looking towards Devil's Dyke and beyond ! It really did take your breath away! Such a  perfect view to paint ......

                                                        "Westward Bound" 

                                                          Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18" 

 

Summer painting and The South Downs

 Summer has now sadly drawn to a close. It's been a strange one this year with so much uncertainty with the Covid virus still around. 

I wasn't able to get out very often so I had to make sure that I made the most of my walks and choose the places that I thought would be best for painting and give me a variety of views. This I decided would be The South Downs.

In the height of Summer I headed off  to Beddingham and Firle. It was a hot sunny day. The paths were filled with wild flowers and butterflies and the fields full of golden crops and sheep grazing at their leisure. Perfect!

I knew it would be busy on the South Downs Way  at Firle beacon so I walked up Beddingham Hill and set off  south towards Newhaven . I was greeted with stunning views towards the sea . From there I headed back north to Firle beacon .  I really couldn't have made a better choice for a walk !

Beddingham to Firle walk

It was an inspiring day and I returned home with plenty of wonderful views to paint ...

                                          "Downland to the Sea"

                                        "Golden to the Sea"

                                          "Summer Heights"

I am very happy to say that they have all found new homes.

                                                               ****************

My second main walk took to to Ditchling beacon and along to the windmills at Clayton  . The Summer was gradually fading away and the colours were more muted. I love this time of year as the Hawthorn bushes are ablaze with red berries like beacons on the slopes . 

Ditchling beacon to Clayton 

Once again it was a wonderful walk with stunning views over The South Downs and the Sussex Weald . I'm still happily painting and holding on to the memories of Summer for as long as I can ! 

                                                       

Summer and the frustrated painter!

Well here I am right in the middle of the Summer.
 As a landscape artist I should be in my element......but I 'm not!
I'm surrounded by beautiful countryside and wonderful beaches, so many places that I wish to walk, so many views that I want to paint.
It's the weather that frustrates me so much. Each time I venture out to explore, the clouds appear, the light dims and my quest becomes futile. Yes, there have been some wonderful sunny days but they have either been far too hot for walking or I have had other commitments .
(I don't drive and as the busses are so few and far between my trips need planning in advance . I can't just jump in a car when the sun comes out. )

So I sit here at odds wondering what to do .....
I  make so many demands on myself  ...
perhaps too many ?
Should I persevere ? Change my artistic direction? Explore new ideas?
It's hard to think clearly when your head is full of clouds and your journey ends in disappointment.

I did manage to get to the Lewes Downs on a day when the sun broke through . It's a stunning area in the Summer . There is such a vast array of colourful flowers and so many beautiful butterflies and insects  .
 A frenzied dance on a warm scented breeze. ...

The Southerham nature reserve on the Lewes Downs

My trips here never fail to inspire ....
                                              
                                             "The Butterfly Path" 

"The Butterfly Path" Acrylic painting on canvas 

 After a few fruitless outings I decided my best dose of self medication would be to spend a day at the beach. A colouful and fun filled trip to Brighton.
 Seaside, sticks of rock, deck chairs and the new up-side-down house was sure to put a smile on my face! 

Brighton Summer 2019

 It was a good day and just what the doctor ordered!
 It also reminded me that as we near the end of July that my painting "Joan and Nancy's trip to the seaside" is the August picture in the Artist and Illustrator's 2019 calendar .....now that's a bit special :) 

My painting in the Artist and Illustrators calendar :)

 To mark the occasion I thought I would have a similar bit of fun including the old West pier .....
                                   
                                               "Sun, Salt and Seaworn" 

A fun seaside painting "Sun, Salt and Seaworn"

The "Sun" is for sunbathing.
The "Salt" is for the tattooed sailor .The tattoo says "sink or swim", which I felt was very apt in regards to the fragile state of the pier.
The "Seaworn" refers to the West pier ruins


For now though I shall go back to watching the weather forecast ...
back to thinking....
thinking of what to do .

"Castle Heights" Painting Lewes castle

Lewes castle from the mount

I live just a few miles from the town of Lewes. The county town of Sussex.
Situated within the slopes of the South Downs it is steeped in history and wonderful architecture.
Over the past few years I have  painted  2 of the views overlooking the rooftops

Two of my previous paintings of Lewes

This time I wanted to paint the castle and some of the surrounding buildings. After much thought I decided on the view from the Mount near the Priory ruins. No one really seems to know what the mount actually is but there are some great views from the top and further information about it here  The Mount, Lewes
I went up it last year but unfortunately trees obscured the view  . However on a recent visit I noticed that the trees had been felled ....happy me!  The view was just what I was hoping for! It took a lot of work to paint but I enjoyed every brush stroke .

                                                   "Castle Heights" 
                                    Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18" 

"Castle Heights" Painting of Lewes Castle

 

The South Downs above Rodmell

The Bluebells faded away and the countryside turned to lush greens and brilliant whites . New crops  growing in the fields, Cow parsley along the verges and Hawthorn blossom adorned the trees .
The sun came out and it was a perfect day for a walk over the Downs .
My path took me from Rodmell , past Telscombe and to the sea at Saltdean.
It was a lovely walk with amazing views !

Views from my walk from Rodmell to Saltdean

On my way I passed the vineyard at Breaky Bottom . It sits nestled among the patchwork fields that curve and slope around it . A perfect composition to paint !
                                        "Blossom over Breaky Bottom" 
                                  

"Blossom over Breaky Bottom" Acrylic on canvas

Arriving at the coast I was greeted by the colourful flowers that grow wild along the cliff tops at Saltdean . Thay made a vivid contrast against the white chalk and sea views.
                                                      "Wild by the sea" 

Painting the wildflowers on the cliffs at Saltdean