"Bluebells at Birling Gap" Painting the coastguard cottages at Birling Gap

Birling Gap on the Sussex coast 2014

Birling Gap is situated at the western edge of the Seven Sisters cliffs on the East Sussex coast.
The coastguard cottages are a well known land mark that are gradually being destroyed by erosion. The cliffs have dramatically changed over the years as the pictures below illustrate.

Erosion of the cliffs at Birling Gap

The severe storms of last Winter caused such extensive damage that the end cottage has had to be demolished as it was now unsafe.

Cottage before demolition February 2014

It's such a picturesque location that it seems rather sad to see it gradually falling apart.
On our recent visit I was surprised and delighted to see that on the cliff top grew large areas of bright bluebells. Swaying in the breeze as if  imitating the gentle waves of the sea.
. It seemed a fitting subject to paint, as one day it will be gone.....
Work in progress..
                                        "Bluebells at Birling Gap"
                                           Acrylic on box canvas 20"x 16"x 1.5" 
The picture has been sketched out, under painted and work has begun on the cliffs, sea and background 

Work in progress, painting the cottages at Birling gap

Most of today's progress was on the cottages, they're not finished yet but they are well on their way!

Painting in the cottages

Finally the foliage and bluebells fill the foreground like scented sea waves and now it's all finished .
                                  
                                          "Bluebells at Birling Gap"

Bluebells at Birling Gap

                                                                           ***
The bluebells this year have been wonderful my local woods have been a delight to walk through, Scented blue carpets and sunshine!
                                            

                                  

                                                                            

                            

"Fresh Fish and Seagulls" Fourth painting of the boats on The Stade, Hastings, East Sussex

Fishing boats on The Stade at Hastings, East Sussex

I decided to visit  Hastings again. I've already painted 3 pictures of the boats but couldn't resist another as it's definitely one of my favourite places along the Sussex coast.
The fishing fleet of 25 boats is the largest beach fleet in the country and they are  wonderful subjects for  painting! Colour, detail, history, character....Hastings beach has it all!
It was a lovely sunny day so I caught the train from Lewes and set off with camera in hand.
I spent 2 hours just wandering around the Stade ,soaking up the atmosphere and taking loads of photos of the boats. I also found a friendly fisherman selling the morning's catch from his hut.

Selling fresh fish at Hastings

I had a delightful day and I returned home full of eagerness to get painting.
"Bethan Louise" is the boat I have chosen . I watched it's fishermen for ages,whilst busy working they were throwing scraps of fresh fish onto the beach. This resulted in a frenzied and very noisy attack from masses of seagulls, all desperately trying to get the best bits. The whole scene was so typical of the area that I thought it would make a good composition for my painting...
                              "Fresh Fish and Seagulls"
                                                 Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24"x 1.5"

Painting of a fishing boat at the Stade, Hastings

"Fresh Fish and Seagulls" Close up and wall views

More paintings of Hastings...
 "Days on the Stade"
"Pots and Dans"

"Seagulls over Arundel" Painting the river at Arundel in West Sussex

Arundel, West Sussex

We recently visited Arundel in West Sussex .
 A very old picturesque town that is dominated by the castle on the hill.
We were there to have a look around the classic MG car show which was being held in the castle grounds.

Classic MG's at Arundel show

The cars looked great, especially surrounded by such wonderful scenery.
 Afterwards, as it was such a lovely day, a stroll along the river bank seemed the ideal thing to do.
The view towards the town was to be the subject of my painting.
 I loved the reflections on the river, the little boats gently bobbing on the water and the seagulls swooping in to find tasty morsels left by sightseers. It was all so colourful....
                                        "Seagulls over Arundel"
                            Acrylic on box canvas 24" x18"x 1.5"

Painting  of Arundel and the river

                                                                     

"Blackcap" Walking and painting the South Downs of Sussex

Blackcap on the South Downs

Spring has arrived!
 At last we have some good weather days to be able to go exploring again.
I chose a good clear day and decided I would take a walk along the South Downs just west of Lewes.
Starting at Offham I headed west over Mount Harry and on to  Blackcap, at 676ft this was a very steep walk!
 It was all worth it as the views were stunning. You get glimpses through the valleys of the coast to the south and wonderful panoramic views of the Sussex Weald to the north.
At the top is a small wooded area planted to commemorate the Queen's coronation...

Commemorative stone at Blackcap

At this time of year the fields below are a dazzling patchwork of fresh greens and bright yellow crops of rape which look just amazing in the sunshine...

Rape crops in the Sussex Weald

 The next part of my journey was all down hill....a very long way down hill !
 It was the part I enjoyed the most.
 A well walked chalk path twisting and turning down the steep slopes of the South Downs as if it would go on forever!

The chalk track down Blackcap

It was the view from the bottom of this track that inspired my painting.
 Views of the Sussex Weald, rape crops and the chalk path...Spring has definitely arrived!
                                    "Blackcap Down"
                                                Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24"x1.5"

The view from the path coming down from Blackcap

Painting the "Chapel Hill Rooftops" of Lewes, Sussex

Chapel Hill, Lewes, Sussex

On a recently sunny day we decided to head for the Southerham nature reserve at Lewes. It's an area well known for it's butterflies and wild flowers. It's also very high up! Although the weather was lovely it was also very misty so we missed out on the extensive views from the top. I intend to return in the Summer when the area will be at it's best and hopefully get some wonderful photos!

Southerham nature reserve, Lewes

Reaching the reserve requires a very steep climb up Chapel Hill, not for the faint hearted but the views are spectacular over the town and far beyond. It's certainly  well worth the effort..

Views from Chapel Hill, Lewes

It was the hill that became the subject of my painting. The houses are very old and the view over the rooftops of the town is wonderful, such a lovely mix of architecture!
 Just a short way up the lane stands a bent lamp post that seems to fit the scene perfectly. I would love to know how it ended up that way, perhaps the result of drunken revelry from  bonfire nights past?
With so many buildings in the view it was quite a challenging composition and has taken a while to complete. But I'm glad I chose it :)
                                             "Chapel Hill Rooftops"
                                              Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 18"x 1.5" 

The view from Chapel Hill, Lewes

 

"Draught and Dray" Painting the horse drawn dray of Harvey's Brewery

Harveys brewery, Lewes, Sussex

My favourite subjects to paint are the ones  that mix nostalgia with  modern day scenes .
I'm also very partial to a good ale! So imagine my delight when I discovered that my local brewery Harveys had reintroduced the brewery dray cart.
It was originally brought in for the Queen's visit last October but was so popular that they decided to keep using it for deliveries and special occasions.

Photo courtesy of Maple Leaf Carriages

The dray has not been used by the brewery for over a hundred years and well suits the historic streets of Lewes.
                                      The brewery...
Harveys is a family run brewery that has been around since 1790 . Situated in the center of the town the building is a very impressive landmark situated on the banks of the river Ouse. For more details please visit their website http://www.harveys.org.uk/the-brewery

                                       The horses...
The horses are supplied by Maple Leaf Carriage Company. A lovely pair of Shire horses called
 Monty and Winston. They  look splendid and of course enjoy the odd tipple now and again !

Monty and Winston enjoying a well earned pint...gallon!

 

http://www.mapleleafcarriages.com/shire-experience-days/ 

The dray...

The dray  is beautifully built and painted, laden with the barrels of beer it is a wonderful sight to see on the streets.

These are all topped off with a large comfortable cushion where you will find Barney enjoying the scenery ... I'm sure he gets a lot of attention too!

Harveys dray

Of course being "top dog" means proudly wearing your best Harveys coat !

Barney helping with the beer delivery. Photo courtesy of Jon Tooley

                                           The painting...
                                     "Draught and Dray"
Work in progress...Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24"x 1.5"
 It's rather a complicated painting with lots of detail so it's going to take quite a while to complete.
I'm on my third day of painting, gradually building up the layers of colour so that I can work on the detail. 
 

Work in progress "Draught and Dray"

 I made good progress today. The painting is starting to come together now. Tomorrow I should be able to start on the finer details where I'm happy with the depth of colour. I shall also make a start on the remaining areas.

The painting is now starting to come togeher

It's felt like slow progress today as I've been adding some of the finer detail. The harness is almost completed and I've started work on the other horse...

Starting to paint in some detail and the second horse

Well, after many hours of painting I have finally completed the picture. It's been a delightful subject to paint !
                                                  "Draught and Dray"
                                Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24"x 1.5"

The Harveys dray with Monty and Winston

"Lancing downland" painting the landscape around the Adur district of Sussex

Views from above North Lancing, Sussex

The other day my sister and I were discussing where to go for our next walk. The weather forecast for the following day was for bright sunshine, a rare opportunity not to be missed!
By pure coincidence , whilst we were talking, I received an e mail with a request to paint a downland landscape from the area around Lancing in West Sussex.
 Perfect timing!
I don't know the area other than a couple of visits to Shoreham so I was delighted to have a reason to explore somewhere new along the South downs.
After a good scout around on the internet I found a promising circular walk from the Argus
http://www.theargus.co.uk/magazine/sussex_walks/west_sussex_walks/4539217.Lancing_Ring_Nature_Reserve_Circular/
It started from the lancing ring nature reserve and took us up over the downs where we enjoyed some wonderful and expansive views of the Sussex Weald and the coast. My sister has details of the walk on her blog ( See link below)
As forecast it was a beautiful Spring day so we set off  with camera, map and a packet of Jaffa cakes !
The brief was to try and incorporate views of the sea but unfortunately the direction of the sun meant that the photos were not clear and usable.
However, after 4.5 miles of walking some very steep slopes (and an empty Jaffa cake packet) we returned home with plenty of photos of our explorations.

Views from our walk at lancing

 It was decided to go with a delightful view that captured the curvacious landscape of the chalk land  hills,with distant views towards Beeding Hill and the Sussex Weald.

Firstly the composition was sketched out and the hazy views of Upper Beeding and the South downs were painted in as they disappear into distance.

Sketched out and painting in the Sussex Weald view

Next I concentrated on the variety of greens that create the fields and slopes of "Winding Bottom" with it's white chalk pathways .

Painting in the green fields and pastures

Then with a very small brush the earthy colours of the ploughed field were built up in many layers and work began on  the foliage

The ploughed field is added to the painting

I have now started to add the chalk and grass field on the right hand side. I need to leave this area to dry before I can progress with it so I moved on to the finer details of the trees and placed in where the fence posts will go.

Painting in the first layers of the grass and chalk field

Finally,  after 5 hours painting with a brush with just 2 hairs on it , I have added the grass and finished the painting....
                                            "Lancing Downland"
                                        Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 18"x 1.5"

lancing Downland

 

The walk took us around the edge of a valley where right in the middle stands a barn. Due to the contours of the landscape it would disappear as if by magic then reappear further along the way.
I loved the way it was situated among the wonderful sloping patterns of the fields.
It just had to be painted!
                                                 "Valley Barn"
                                       Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 14"x 1.5"

"Valley Barn" Lancing

You can find out more about our walk and the photos taken on my sister's blog
http://woolwhiskerswalks.blogspot.co.uk/

"Short Circuit" Still life fun with an Aston Martin !

Once again the bleak weather has held me captive in the house! Not to be beaten or down hearted I decided to have a little fun with a still life composition.
I have a very small model of a 1922 Aston Martin that I wanted to put into a painting

1922 Aston Martin model

 I don't know why.
 I just liked it and thought it's smooth, simply shape  would look good against a more geometric background.
I was looking for something equally as small and came upon an old lap top that had just what I needed. Lots of small circuits and components that I could "build" a race track and town to complete the scene.
It took quite a while to paint as the acrylic green is quite transparent.  I had to apply about 5-6 layers of paint to get the opaqueness that I wanted...

"Short Circuit" Work in progress

I was then able to build up the depth with washes of lighter and darker shades.
 When dry the details were added .
 Finally the shading and highlights brought it all to life.
                                                      "Short Circuit"
                                              Acrylic on box canvas 24"x 18"x 1.5"

Fun still life with Aston Martin

"Short Circuit" Wall view

Painting the "Sussex Sea" . Birling Gap, East Sussex

Birling Gap, East Sussex

I've been watching how our stormy Winter weather has been having such a dramatic effect on our coastline. So many landmarks have been destroyed or damaged by the severe wind and rain.
The constant onslaught of the sea and it's relentless waves have been changing the shape of our beaches.
Cornwall and Devon have had the worst but here too in East Sussex we have not escaped the storms and there have been several landslides on the cliffs where in just a few seconds they crumble away into the sea.
One such place is Birling Gap on the South Downs. Since Christmas there have been two 9ft landslides, the first bringing the old cottages on the top of the cliff even closer to the edge!

The cottages at Birling Gap

I remembered when we went there on New Years Day last year. It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine that made the chalk white cliffs of the Seven Sisters almost glow! Several people were there indulging in their New Year swim , a tradition I hasten to add that you won't find me taking part in! Brrrrrrr!
Anyway, with the recent events and my memories I thought I would paint a picture of a more colourful and less destructive time. I have chosen the view from the beach looking towards the cliffs of Seaford Head.
                                                               "Sussex Sea"
                                                     Acrylic on box canvas 18"x 24" x1.5"

The view of Seaford Head from Birling Gap

 

"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