"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 

Features, foul weather and Valentine's...

January is coming to an end and still the weather is grim! It's really frustrating as I would love to paint some more landscapes but the rain and wind do not make a good mixture for photography.
I've been out and about around the village outskirts but it's just so wet and muddy...

I discovered an old abandoned farm that's full of charm and character. Unfortunately I can't explore it as it's on private land, but maybe I will return to it in the Summertime and see it in a better light.
The storms have brought so many trees down that parts of the wood look like some sort of Jurassic landscape, it's such a shame but I'm sure new growth will soon arrive and the next generation will be able to enjoy the woodland that I have got to know over the past 5 years here in Newick.
Sometimes on my walks I discover the most unlikely things, twice last week I found myself having to look twice. Firstly I spotted 7 goldfish in a small, fast flowing country stream, they looked liked they were having a wonderful time! I guess that the recent downpours have caused someone's pond to flood and overflow resulting in the liberation of their fish.

My next surprise was during a frosty morning walk along the old disused railway line. As I turned the corner I came upon a very large and very hairy camel! I certainly wasn't expecting to see that ! Apparently his origins were from Mongolia so he didn't mind our cold wet weather. I have to say he was rather handsome in his own way.....

But not quite my ideal painting subject !
Going back to the subject of painting I have had a good January, starting off with the Artist and Illustrator magazine choosing  "Swanning around" as part of their January online exhibition .

"Swanning Around" Painting the swans on Piltdown pond

Secondly the Printers Inc ran a feature on me for their blog Behind the easel which was fun to take part in . I have several artworks available from them as canvas or photo prints http://pa4438.wix.com/paulaoakleyart#!buy-prints-and-posters

Then finally and most excitingly was Daler Rowney inviting me to be a featured artist on their website. I am really pleased to have been asked and to discover how much they like my paintings.
All my work is created with their System 3 acrylics so it's a very apt place for me to be seen :)
Daler Rowney featured artist

In the mean time I have been having a little fun , with Valentine's day fast approaching I thought I would be a little romantic, 8"x 8" to be precise ....
                                                        "Love Buttons"
                                                       Acrylic on canvas board

Still life made with love and buttons

 
I have also just started a similar painting but on a slightly bigger canvas so watch this space :)
.....and here it is..
                                                     "Button Love"
                                           Acrylic on box canvas 16"x 12"x 1.5"

"Button Love" fun still life

  

"Any Port in a Storm" Fun still life painting

When Winter brings the rain, hail, gales, flooding and power cuts, the only thing to do is pour yourself a drink, relax and wait for the storms to pass. As the weather has been so awful recently I thought I would have a bit of fun with this still life painting....

                              "Any Port in a Storm"
                                              Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 18"x 1.5"

"Any Port in a Storm" Acrylic still life

                                      

                                                                           

"Days on The Stade" Painting the fishing boats on Hastings beach

Fresh fish for sale on The Stade, Hastings

At last the storms and gales seem to have gone! We've had some awful weather which caused so much damage , especially along the coast. The local news showed a video of part of the rock face at Hastings crumbling away into the sea.
 It reminded of the lovely day we spent there last year among the historic buildings and watching the mischievous seagulls gathering around the colourful fishing boats on  The Stade
I thought I would paint them again , this time on a bigger canvas,  something to brighten up the dull Winter days....

                               "Days on The Stade"

Painting the colourful boats on The Stade at Hastings

"Days on The Stade"

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

More fishing boats of Hastings here

"No-Ale, No-Ale" Painting with a little festive fun!

Newick village in the snow !

Well it's that time of year again when the weather forecasters start trying to predict what the Winter will bring. Some are saying it will be severe. This made me think about the consequences of such weather on our rural little village of Newick and I thought I would have a little bit of artistic fun.
 So wrap up warm and join me in a little festive Christmas carol ....

"No-Ale No-Ale No-Ale No-Ale,
We've drunk all the beer and we now have No- Ale!"

"There is no ale" the barman did say.
On a cold winter's night the snow's caused a delay.
The road's are all closed, "Oh no!" We did cry.
The bottles are empty, the barrels are dry!" 

                                          "No-Ale, No-Ale"
                                      Acrylic on stretched canvas 12"x 15"

Painting with a little Christmas cheer!

                   Cards available at Redbubble

Painting the boats on the river Ouse at Lewes, Sussex

The River Ouse at Lewes, Sussex

Back in the Summer I visited my local town of Lewes. It's a town steeped in history that has some wonderful architecture. The river Ouse runs through the center of the town and was once a vital means of transport for the Lewes businesses. In the 19th century the waterway was full of barges and boats laden with goods and the river banks were overrun with wharfs, warehouses, granaries, ironworks, breweries, a gasworks, a papermill and soap factory.

The cement works in 1900 and how the buildings look today

Today the river is used mainly for leisure and many small  boats can be seen moored just a short distance from Cliffe bridge.
The river is tidal which causes the reflections to change through out the day, the small colourful boats and their reflections were a perfect subject for a painting...

                                  "River Reflections"
                                                  Acrylic on stretched canvas 24"x 12"

Painting the boats on the river Ouse at Lewes, Sussex

                                                                          BUY

Painting the fishing boats of The Stade, Hastings

A couple of weeks ago I was a lucky winner of some free travel tickets with Southern Rail which meant I could travel any where I wanted in the South Downs area .My sister and I eventually decided on a trip to Hastings (East Sussex).
The town is steeped in history including the battle of 1066 and smugglers tales from days of old.
My favourite part is The Stade with it's fishing boats and tall, dark, net shops.
( It is the largest beach fishing fleet in Europe)
 The area is so full of colour and character, a real painter's paradise!
I've painted one of the smaller boats before, this time I thought I would try something a bit more challenging and paint them with their fishing nets and tackle. The skies were quite overcast and dark which added to the whole atmosphere of the scene.
Work in progress, acrylic 24"x 12" .
The dark skies have been painted and work begun on the 2 fishing boats ...

Day 2 and progress is slow. There's so much small detail that It gets very tiring on the eyes. I've managed to add a bit more colour though and hopefully tomorrows session will see it start to come together more .

Day 3. A good painting day today! I've almost completed all of the detail on the boats. It will all seem a lot easier now that they're done. There's still a fair bit to do and a lot of seagulls to be added ...

Day 4 and another good and final painting day. The nets and pots took a while to paint but I eventually finished them. The only thing I didn't have was a title,  the Hastings Fishermens Museum have suggested "Pots and Dans". I had to ask what a "dan" was as my knowledge of sea fishing is pretty much non existent . I have now learnt that it is the flag that marks where the nets are.
 Such an apt and inspired title !
So here is the finished painting, not a great photo of it as the light is not very good today. You can get a better view by clicking on the picture....
   
                                                     "Pots and Dans"(Sold)
                                                  Acrylic on stretched canvas 24"x 12"

"Pots and Dans", The Stade, Hastings, Sussex

More paintings of the Sussex coast

The Hastings Fishermens Museum

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hastings-Stade-Walks/157167324395190?fref=ts

"Alicia's Toy Box" Still life painting commission

I have just completed a fun and colourful still life commission.
 The brief was to paint a composition that would feature a selection of favourite toys to celebrate a first birthday. I was then given free rein to create something for the occasion.
I discovered that the little girl "Alicia" lives on a farm. I thought it would be more personal to include this idea, along with her Autumn birthday and added some baby building blocks with the details
It was a delight to create and resulted in a very special keepsake....
                           a little bit Autumn.....a little bit farm....and a lot of Alicia's Toy Box 

                                                         "Alicia's Toy Box"
                                                                  Acrylic 20"x 16"

Painting the Seven Sisters of Sussex

The Seven Sisters

Just for a change the August Bank Holiday was a lovely hot sunny day.

 Perfect weather for a trip to the coast and to one of my favourite places, Cuckmere Haven in  East Sussex. 

Here you find the iconic view of the coastguard cottages against the backdrop of The Seven Sisters and see the snake like river flowing into the sea.

The river Ouse running snake -like out towards the sea

It is a wonderful place to visit and the views are stunning.

I have painted the coastguard cottages before on a small canvas so I wanted to return and paint them again a bit larger. I had one problem, I couldn't decide which view to paint!

To solve this I've decided to paint two at the same time, something I don't usually do as I find it hard to concentrate but as they're both of the same subject everything seems to be going well :)

It's interesting to see how the colours change in the light and how different the same subject looks from a different angle...

"Seven Sisters Summer"

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

"Seven Sisters Summer"

 This image has been painted many many times but the cottages won't be there for ever as the chalk cliffs are rapidly eroding away!

  Good news! "Seven Sisters Summer" is now available as prints, t shirts, note books, mugs, cards, cushions, bags and more! Click on this link to view the full range Paula Oakley at Redbubble

"Seven Sisters Summer" by Paula Oakley

"Seven Sisters Summer" cushion by Paula Oakley

                                                   "Cuckmere Cottages"
                                    Acrylic on box canvas 16"x 20"x 1.5"

The coastguard cottages at Cuckmere Haven

 . Here you can see how close to the edge the coastguard cottages now stand. I love the way the orange clay soil almost glows in the sunshine.

                                                                       

More paintings Sussex scenes http://paula-paintmyworld.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-sussex-coast-on-canvas.html#.U7l_HrGFDIU

Painting "Sunflowers and Nasturtiums"

Sunflowers

I have been busy in the garden this week. Tidying up, weeding and just soaking up the wonderful colours  and scents of  late Summer.
This year I grew some sunflowers, smaller than usual, about 2 ft in height and a selection of nasturtiums that meander through the foliage in a blaze of orange and red. They really light up the garden.
 I thought of how Van Gogh must have been enchanted by the bright, bold blooms of the sunflowers and how impossible it would be to let them fade away without painting them.
Well, I'm no Van Gogh but I'm going to paint them anyway!
 My version will include vivid red nasturtiums in a pretty painted jug.
Day one of my "Van Gogh" moment...NOTE...no ears were harmed in the creation of this painting ;)

Starting to paint in the first layers of the sunflower composition

I had a busy day today but still managed to get a bit more painting done. I've been making a start on the shadows and darker areas which has already made a big difference.

Many layers of paint build up to give the depth of colour

Finally after many more hours of painting I have come to the end of my Van Gogh moment. I wonder if he would have approved of my efforts?
                           "Sunflowers and Nasturtiums"
                                                   Acrylic on box canvas 16"x 20"x 1.5"

Colourful still life featuring sunflowers and nasturtiums

"Pip and Katy", cat portrait painting for an Un-Birthday

Lately I have been busy working on a commission for a lady that wanted it as birthday present for her daughter.
 My brief was to paint the two pet cats and to incorporate their names into the picture.
Obviously I needed plenty of reference material, so my client set off, camera in hand to"stalk" the animals in question. All this had to be kept secret or the surprise would have been spoiled. Photographing cats is not always as easy as it looks!
Eventually we ended up with a selection for me to work from.
 My immediate thought was of traditional head poses with their names written below...but....that's just not my style! Instead I decided to create a composition that would put the cats into a relevant scene.
 In some of the photos I was able to see the soft furnishings in their house, I reproduced these in the painting by decorating the cushions and cat rug with the same colours and patterns.
Then I added the cats names by making them look like they were appliqued cushions.
It all worked really well and I'm delighted to say that both my client and her daughter love it!
                                      
                                                        "Pip and Katy"
                                  Acrylic 16"x 20"x1.5"

What I havn't mentioned is that the birthday in question isn't until Christmas!  Unable to keep the painting a secret for so long we decided to hold a surprise Un-Birthday celebration.

 I made a "Happy Not Your Birthday" card, wine was drunk and candles blown out on cup cakes :) 

Just like the Disney song from "Alice in wonderland" a very merry un-birthday to you ....

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdsZT7WKjW8

"The Royal Oak", painting the pubs of Newick village

I live in the village of Newick, East Sussex. A pretty little village that has changed very little over the years.
There are 3 pubs here, The Royal Oak, The Bull Inn and The Crown, each very different in style and all very popular. ( The 4th pub, The Bricklayers Arms has been demolished in my absence )
The Bull Inn is situated in the middle of the village green. Built in 1510 it is said to have been used as a resting place for the pilgrims .
I painted it a couple of years ago, the brickwork was a nightmare and it took quite some time to  complete....          
 My memories...dipping hessian wrapped torches in paraffin around the back of the building, in preparation for bonfire night.
                                                      "Inn on the Green"

The Bull Inn, Newick,Sussex

Just up the road is The Royal Oak . A 16th century building that was once a manor house. This will be my new subject to paint. It's changed very little since this old postcard from 1911.

My memories...my induction into the world of beers, wines and spirits! 15 years of age with a half pint glass full of cider and the best ever ploughman's lunch. Large lumps of cheese, butter and pickle with a wedge of  bread torn from a freshly baked cob loaf from the local bakery ....mmmmm :)

 

It's quite an awkward building to paint. Sittting on the edge of a narrow road opposite some cottages means it's not possible to get a full frontal view.

Today I managed to get it all sketched out and I've painted in the trees of the background.

Day 2....just a couple of hours painting today but I have started work on the weather boards and added some basic under painting....progress has begun! 

Day 3...Painted most of the roof and chimneys today. I've also started on the fiddly little bits, it's very tiring on the eyes but I enjoy putting in the details.It's starting to look more colourful now .

Day 4... added lots of bits and pieces  today and started work on the right hand side of the building. The weather's pretty grim, raining again, so not a very good photo ...

Day 5... finally I've painted in the last details and the shading. All  I need to do now is go and test out their beer :)

"The Royal Oak" (Newick, East Sussex)

Acrylic on stretched canvas 23"x 16"x .5"

The Royal Oak, Newick, Sussex

BUY 

http://www.royaloakpubandrestaurant.co.uk/

More paintings of Sussex http://paula-paintmyworld.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-sussex-coast-on-canvas.html#.U7l_HrGFDIU