Buttercups, tractors and the South Downs Society

Buttercups, tractor painting and the South Downs

It's been a busy but rather wonderful week. Summer is here and I've been out and about on several walks enjoying the sunshine and scenery.
In between I have also been  working on a commission painting.
 Earlier in the year I was asked if I would paint a vintage Fordson tractor. Now....I'm no tractor expert and although I was given a reference photo I prefer to work from my own. Not only can I  capture the angles and details that I need but it ensures that my paintings are original .
So my quest began! As luck would have it I spotted an advert for the Cuckoo Fair at Laughton ( just out side of Lewes) a big country fair embracing rural life from times gone by.

The Cuckoo Fair, Laughton,East Sussex

 On the day of the event the weather was bright and sunny and to my delight I found just what I needed!
Now all I needed was a backdrop to create a suitable composition.
I chose a landscape view from Lewes Brooks , at this time of year bright yellow blankets of buttercups fill the fields and the South Downs are rich green ....perfect!
The view includes glimpses of the picturesque village of Rodmell , Swanborough Hill and Kingston Ridge.
I have to admit that it wasn't an easy painting , it took about 45 hours and just as many cups of coffee! Ha ha ! But I got there in the end....
                              "Fordson on the Brooks" 
                                   Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

Painting a vintage Fordson tractor 

   ....and the fiddly, time consuming bits! 

Close up of the Fordson engine detail

 Now as you are by now aware I am a great lover of the South Downs .
 They are of course female....voluptuous curves adorned with floral gems and scented like no other! 

View East from Telscombe

I have recently discovered the South Downs Society. 
In their own words ...

"We fight campaigns against inappropriate development and fund conservation projects
We take an active role in safeguarding and improving the rights of way network and extending areas of open access land across the National Park
We encourage the public to learn more about the National Park
As the National Park Society we watch over the activities of the National Park Authority as a challenging friend including suggesting things they might do to enhance the National Park"

 A few weeks ago I entered a competition on their Facebook page , it required recognizing a particular image from the South Downs. It was by total coincidence a place that I had passed on my walk that very morning! On Monday I was delighted to be informed that I had won !
My prize was a goody bag selection of their gifts that can also be purchased from their web site http://www.southdownssociety.org.uk/support-us/merchandise-2/

A gift selection from The South Downs Society

 Never was a prize so perfectly matched to it's recipient ! (The box of chocolates didn't last long enough to be photographed )
Well, only one thing to do now and that's to sit out in the garden and enjoy the sunshine with a good cup of coffee...... just PERFECT!

Family and festivities

This week has been about painting gifts for my family.
I have the Naming Day of my youngest grandson coming up soon and thought it would be more personal to paint him a picture .
I rarely paint children but my grandchildren are the exception to my rule.
I hope that maybe one day, when I'm long gone, that he'll find it tucked away in the attic and think...
"Yay" My gran painted that for me"                                                                                                                                                                           "James"
                                                     Acrylic on canvas board 10"x 14"

Painting baby James

Next was something completely different. As I have mentioned before our family lived on various farms in Kent and Sussex.
My brother has fond memories of his farming days as a young teenager in the early 1960's and a love of the old tractors that he can remember driving on the South Downs.
With this in mind I was requested to paint one as a special birthday present from his wife.
At first I wasn't sure where or how I was going to get the right reference photos , then by chance I discovered that there was to be a vintage farm fair just 3 miles up the road from me!
It was a wonderful sunshine day and I was delighted to see a vast array of old farm machinery being displayed and demonstrated and I found exactly what I was looking for !
The background of the painting could be anywhere but it's actually the area where my brother lived at the time .
I am very happy to say that he loved the resulting surprise :)

                                                       "Travellin' Light"
                             

Painting of an early 1960's  Nuffield tractor

         Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 
      Looked good framed ....