Blue skies and sunshine ...

2018 and January is almost over! I can't believe how quickly it has gone by. I've been patiently waiting for some good weather but the days have been mainly grey and bleak !
With the ground so wet and muddy I havn't been out much....oh how I miss the Summer!
When the sun does come out it sits low in the sky and poor light just isn't good for my style of painting.
I therefor decided to beat the Winter blues by revisiting some of my favourite walks from last year. Days of blue skies and sunshine .....
The first comes from an early Spring walk around North Chailey and Sheffield Park.
The rising sun lit up the woodland the scent of bluebells filled the air!
                                        " One Spring Morning" 

"One Spring Morning" Painting of the Springtime bluebell woods 

 My other painting for January is from one of my walks along The South Downs Way, just north of Southease in East Sussex. 
I love the way that the wild flowers flourish and sway in the breeze along the edge of the patchwork fields .
                                       "Wild Along The Way" 

"Wild along The Way" Summer painting of the South Downs Way

So farewell January....It's been great to share the memories of last year but I look forward to exploring new paths and inspiring places .

"The Enchanted Place" Ashdown Forest and Winnie the Pooh

Ashdown Forest and "The Enchanted Place"

About 10 miles north of where I live is  Ashdown Forest  where the author A.A.Milne lived with his son Christopher Robin.
 Their walks took them over the forest landscape..
 “in single file threading the narrow paths that run through the heather”
  inspiring the delightful stories of Winnie the Pooh.
This Summer our grandchildren came to stay and we thought it would be fun to find some of the places in the books so they could see them for real.
Now we couldn't possibly go on a "Pooh Expotition" without a visit to Pooh bridge and indulge in a game of Pooh Sticks . Although the weather wasn't at it's best our six  year old granddaughter enjoyed it, just like Christopher Robin ...

Playing Pooh sticks

We then headed off to find the memorial plaque commemorating A.A.Mile and E.H. Shepard . From here you can see some wonderful views over the forest and beyond.
 Most of the year the landscape is a blaze of yellow from the gorse bushes but in Summer the heather carpets the forest in purples and pinks.

The A.A.Milne memorial

Next we passed "Rue's Sandy Pit" (Old quarry) and headed off to  "Galleons Lap" (Gill's Lap)....
in the words of A.A.Milne....

“Being enchanted, it’s floor was not like the floor of the Forest, gorse and bracken and heather, but close-set grass, quiet and smooth and green. It was the only place in the Forest where you could sit down carelessly, without getting up again almost at once and looking for somewhere else. Siting there they could see the whole world spread out until it reached the sky, and whatever there was all around the world over was with them in Galleons Lap.”

–  The House At Pooh Corner; A.A Milne

Here at "The Enchanted Place" you could see what so inspired Milne to write his stories. The beautiful views, the vast array of earthy colours and the endless places for a young Christopher Robin  to explore.
I have taken a small piece of his inspiration and have used it to inspire myself!
Thank you A.A.Milne......
                                           "The Enchanted Place"
                                   Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"
 

"The Enchanted Place" Ashdown Forest , Acrylic on canvas

Bonfires and Autumn walks. Painting the Autumn colours

Autumn walks and celebrating Newick bonfire night

Well it's been such a busy few weeks that I have only just got around to updating my blog.
Autumn's arrival meant getting out and about on the sunny days to explore and capture the wonderful colours around me.
It also brings the fun of bonfire night. It's celebrated in a big way in Sussex and our small village excels it's self with processions, fireworks and fun. It was a big part of my childhood and as much as I still love it, my days of walking miles in fancy dress with a flaming torch are now distant memories...but....I do like to celebrate by making a hat to wear, this year my theme was "Sussex by the Sea" ...of course! ;)

My "Sussex by the Sea" bonfire hat

Anyway,  between the merriment I have been busy working on three Autumn themed paintings.
 It's been a lot more colourful this year and I have enjoyed some fantastic and inspiring views on my walks around the village. .....

                                          "An Autumn morning" 

"An Autumn morning" Acrylic on canvas

                                 

                                     "Pathway to Autumn"

"Pathway to Autumn" Acrylic on canvas

                                       "A Sussex Autumn"

"A Sussex Autumn" Acrylic on canvas

Before I go.... I would just like to say a very big "THANK YOU" to those that have been kind enough so far  to take the time to vote for me  :)  Artist Of The Year 2015
 

Sussex prints, cards, bags and more!

                           I now have a selection of prints, greeting cards, bags, cushions and more !
                                                                Available from
                                                        REDBUBBLE