"Piddinghoe Reflections"

The river Ouse at Piddinghoe, Sussex

The Spring sunshine took me to Piddinghoe. A picturesque village on the banks of the river Ouse just south of Lewes.
 The church here is has an unusual round tower and surrounded by a mass of snowdrops in early Spring.

  The village also has the only remaining bottle shaped brick kiln in the country ,which you can just see behind the house...

Brick kiln at Piddinghoe

  My path took me along the river bank and past the farm where I lived for a while back in the mid 1960's. It seemed strange to think I was walking in the footsteps of my past !

It all looked so very colourful (unlike my black and white photo ) and the reflections upon the river as it headed out to sea made the view just perfect to paint! 
                                     "Piddinghoe Reflections"

"Piddinghoe Reflections" Acrylic on canvas

 
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Finally, an extract from Rudyard Kipling's Poem "Sussex"
"And the deep ghylls that breed
Huge oaks and old, the which we hold
No more than Sussex weed;
Or south where windy Piddinghoe’s
Begilded dolphin veers
And red beside wide-bankèd Ouse
Lie down our Sussex steers. "

"Springtime over Fulking" (Sussex). Painting the view from Devil's Dyke, Brighton

Devil's Dyke and Fulking, Sussex

Spring has arrived bringing blue skies and sunshine!
The glorious weather took us off to explore Devil's Dyke just outside of Brighton.
  It's been about 4 years since my last visit and I wanted to take advantage of the good weather to capture the stunning views of the Sussex Weald.
I wasn't disappointed but the wind was so strong and bitterly cold ! We stayed just long enough for me to get some good reference photos (not easy in the wind) and then headed down to explore the villages of Fulking. and Edburton that are nestled at the base of the South Downs.
 The narrow winding lanes took us through the small but pretty villages.
These are the places that we had seen looking west from Devil's Dyke and the subject of my painting.
I wanted to paint this view as not only does it capture the communities that live in the area but also the hills with the South Downs Way heading off in the distance on it's route to Winchester.
A view that goes on forever......

                                           "Springtime over Fulking"
                                                     Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 18"x 1.5"
Work in progress.....

Painting the view over Fulking village (Sussex)

The first few days were spent building up the colours and textures whilst making sure everything was in it's right place. Adding the village was quite straining on my eyes so it was good to hop back and forth between buildings and the earthy grass slopes of the South Downs.
Finally everything came together . I'm pleased with the result and it is a great reminder of our day out where it seemed like we were on the top of the world!
                                         

"Springtime over Fulking" (Sussex) Acrylic painting on box canvas

Wall and close up views

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"Dray Days of Summer" Second painting of the Harveys brewery dray

Harveys dray and the John Harvey Tavern, Lewes, Sussex

I have decided to paint the Harveys brewery dray again but this time in front of the wonderful flint built building of the John Harvey Tavern in Bear yard, Lewes.
I was returning from a lovely Summer's walk to the top of Mount Caburn when I spotted the dray out side of the Tavern.
 Last time I painted them it was being pulled by Monty and Winston the beautiful shire horses. This time Monty was having a break as the roads were taking their toll on his hooves. His handsome stand in was called Guinness, a very apt name!
There's a lot of detail to go in to the painting not to mention all the flint on the walls! It will be an interesting challenge and a great subject to paint.
After sketching out the composition I have started work on the flint walls. There's quite a few bits and pieces to go on the walls so I need to get them painted and dry before I can add the hanging baskets etc.

Painting in the flint walls of the John Harvey Tavern

I've made a bit more progress today. The windows seem to be taking a long time so I've decided to flit back and forth so I don't get bored with one area.
I have also started to paint in where some of the other bits are going to go. There seems to be so many things to include and the more I study the photos I'm working from then the more I see!
 I hope to work on the horses tomorrow as they will take several layers to get the depth and colour that I want , but I also want to finish the tavern and paint the cart and the roof and.....and...and....

Work continues on the Tavern and begins on the dray

Busy day today! I have been painting for about 6 hours and have almost reached the half way mark.
It's good to get the horses started and to start adding some finer detail to other areas. A lot of shading has gone in today as well which starts to bring it to life...

Starting to paint in the horses and detail on other areas

I have spent today concentrating on the left hand side. I don't think there is much more left to do on the cart other than some small detail.

Painting in the cart

 Finally I have finished , it's been an interesting and enjoyable subject to and no doubt will not be the last time I paint it. Harveys also have a wonderful blue and red show dray that I would just love to paint!
                         
                                           "Dray Days of Summer"

"Dray Days of Summer" Acrylic on canvas

   "Draught and Dray" http://paula-paintmyworld.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/draught-and-dray-painting-horse-drawn.html#.U_OIrWOFDIU


If you would like to know more about the Lewes breweries ten you might like to see this    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1088290864/ale-tales-ale-and-hearty-brewing-heritage-book

"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

"Old chords and coffee" Painting a street musician

As I enjoyed painting  "Busking and Bones"

A busker and his dog on Cliffe bridge, Lewes

 I've decided to paint another street busker. This one is sitting with his flask of coffee playing old classic songs on his guitar.

 "Old chords and coffee"
Acrylic on stretched canvas, 16"x20"

Playingguitar on Cliffe bridge, Lewes