Seaside and Heatwave

Heading out to the beach

For the past few weeks I have been planning a trip to Worthing in West Sussex.
 I have spent many hours researching the coastal resorts for the best places to visit to take some reference photos for painting. I wanted a typical British seaside with blue skies and sunshine ....not such an easy task to achieve in this country!
Worthing appeared to have all that I required....pier....boats....sea....sand....deckchairs....etc.
I just needed the weather....and then.....wow! A heatwave! Blue skies and sunshine!
It has coincided with Graham having a week off from work which meant my explorations would be much better with him there.
I'm happy exploring on my own but there are times that it would be so much nicer to have some company...to share a moment....to make memories .
Mmmm company.....now there lies a dilemma....
Yes, it would be good to have the company and I have to admit there are times when I get bored of my own, but it's not that easy as I don't really know many people and they would have to fit in with my criteria .....
1: No speeding ahead....the scenery changes with every step and I need to keep stopping and checking out the view in every direction....you never know when the perfect view/ composition will suddenly appear.
2: No mobile phones.....you may as well stay at home!
3: No constant talking....It's a distraction! Look around....take in the scenery....embrace...enjoy!
Other than that all are welcome....ha ha!
Anyway....back to Worthing. As it happens yesterday gave us the most perfect weather. There was not one single cloud in the sky and the sea was beautiful!

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 I was delighted to find so many different subjects to paint and easily managed to stock up with reference photos . A wonderful mixture of specific scenes of the location and an assortment that will contribute to a selection of more generic subjects that I can combine and use to play with ideas.

Worthing , West Sussex

As it was such a glorious day we headed on to South Lancing to check out the beach huts, they wern't at their best but it gave them a bit more charm in a strange sort of way....weathered....used...and loved...

Beach huts at Lancing beach

After a brief visit we moved on to Shoreham harbour, it's an area that combines industry with history and a rather pretty beach where clumps of wild flowers grow among the pebbles...

Shoreham beach and harbour

So....there's a peek of my day out....my explorations....my inspirations.....!
 There will be several paintings on the horizon as a result from our wonderful visit.
 Firstly I wanted to capture the general feel and ambiance of the day....so...here we go...
Work in progress...." High tide and Heatwave"
                                      My first day has been spent painting in the composition and filling in the larger areas. I have also started work on the pebbles as it can be quite time consuming.

Work in progress, "High tide and heatwave" Acrylic on canvas

Today I have concentrated on the deck chairs, lots of wonderful Summer colours! It will take a couple of days to complete them as the wooden frames are all different shades and require several coats of paint to achieve the desired result....

Painting in the deck chairs

I was up this morning with the sun rise! Far too early, but it's a habit I can't get out of . Once I'm awake I find it impossible to just lie in bed . The result was a 6am early painting session !
It did however turn out to my advantage as it turned into another very hot day, so much so that the paint was drying on my brush before I could paint with it! By noon I had to admit defeat but I'm happy with the day's progress......

Seagull and shadows now add to the painting

Another early painting session this morning means the painting is now all finished...

                                    High tide and Heatwave"
                              Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"High tide and Heatwave" Acrylic painting of deck chairs on the beach

"Buttercups and Brooks" (Rodmell and Lewes, East Sussex)

Lewes Brooks

In the middle of the South Downs on the south side of Lewes is a flood plain where the River Ouse takes it's last journey before reaching the sea at Newhaven.

The River Ouse and Mount Caburn in the background

The area is made up of fields and drainage brooks and is a haven for wild birds.

To the west the picturesque villages of Iford, Rodmell and Southease are nestled at the base of the Downs with their chocolate box houses and narrow country lanes.

Iford and Rodmell

 I left Rodmell and walked along a chalk track heading towards the river, June brings the fields alive with a multitude of golden buttercups set off by the vertical reeds and grasses that line the brooks.
It looked so pretty in the sunshine!  Looking back at the village all you could see were a few roof tops and a glimpse of the church. A lovely composition to paint.

                                          "Buttercups and Brooks"
                                            Acrylic on box canvas 12"x 16"x 1.5"

"Buttercups and Brooks" Acrylic painting of Rodmell and Lewes brooks

 On my last visit to this area I painted Southease as seen from Itford Hill....
"Summer over Southease"
                                            

"Gulls and Groynes"

Cliffs and beach at Seaford in East Sussex

On my recent trip to Seaford I spent a while watching the seagulls on the cliffs and beach. I could spend hours watching them swoop and soar over the waves, even if they are rather noisy at times!
 It always amuses me the way that they each sit on top of the groyne posts as if they were put there specifically for them !

Seagulls on the groynes

 With the sunshine on the water and the gentle splashing and crashing of the waves it was picture perfect!
                                         "Gulls and Groynes"
                                 Acrylic on canvas 20"x 16" 

"Gulls and Groynes" Acrylic painting on canvas

....and further up the beach "Beach huts and boats"

"Sea breeze over Seven Sisters" Acrylic painting on canvas

The Seven Sisters

There is one place that I never tire of visiting or painting and that is the wonderful Seven Sisters cliffs on the East Sussex coast.
As I mentioned in my last post the walk up Seaford Head leads you to the amazing views of the cliffs ahead.

The Seven Sisters from Hope Gap

The valleys in between the cliff tops are the "Sisters" and each brow has a name....

 I have painted these cliffs several times, each from a different angle...

Some of my paintings of The Seven Sisters at Cuckmere Haven

If you have Chromecast TV then you may have seen my previous one pop up on your screen now and then !

"Seven Sisters Summer"  Acrylic on canvas (Sold)

Prints, bags, T shirts and more are available here Paula Oakley at Redbubble

This time I wanted to paint the view that greets you on the walk over the cliff tops from Seaford Head. It's a scene that just takes your breath away!
 In the Summer sunshine the chalk white cliffs look  magnificent against the blue skies and calm sea water.
 The colourful selection of wild flowers add to the overall beauty.

Wildflowers on the cliff tops

                           "Sea breeze over Seven Sisters"
                                                              Acrylic on canvas

"Sea breeze over Seven Sisters" Acrylic on canvas 

Close up view

Wall view

Seaford beach "Beach Huts and Boats"

Seaford beach, East Sussex

It's been rather a hectic week , the long awaited Summer has arrived and brought with it 5 painting sales and a trip to the seaside .
Seaford is one of my nearest beaches, as the crow flies , or perhaps I should say as the seagull flies , it's about 15 miles away from my home.
I like Seaford, I was often taken there as a young child. It's very tranquil, unlike Brighton just along the coast.
It also has a lot to see, to the east are the cliffs of Seaford Head where you can walk along the cliff top path to the Seven Sisters.

The Seven Sisters

Seaford Head is also where you will find the Kittiwakes nesting, it can get very noisey! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcyRNjb_FC8
To the west is the busy harbour of Newhaven where the cross channel ferry departs

Ferry leaving Newhaven harbour

In between is Seaford beach,( a man made beach that has to be replenished after bad weather
http://www.slideshare.net/terryjones/seaford-beach-replenishment)
There's a Martello tower that is now used as a museum , a small selection of fishing boats and a colourful row of beach huts. All in all there's something for everyone!
  
I spent a lovely morning exploring the beach and couldn't wait to get home and start painting !

                                        "Beach Huts and Boats"
                                 Acrylic on canvas 20"x 16"

"Beach Huts and Boats" Painting of Seaford beach, East Sussex

"The Colours of May" Painting the countryside in the month of May

The month of May

Last week I took a lovely walk along the country lanes around our village in East Sussex. It was the first time I had been out for a couple of weeks and I was absolutely amazed by how much everything had grown!
The fields were a blaze of golden rapeseed crops that looked stunning, though I must confess that I can't stand the sickly smell of them!
The hedgerows at the moment are wonderful, as the bluebells fade away their place is taken by pretty Red Campions . Most striking of all though is the Cow Parsley, It's flowers seem to hover over the verges like a mist .
May has arrived in all it's glory!  I just had to get the paint brushes out.....

                                              "The Colours of May"
                                         Acrylic on canvas 

"The Colours of May"  Acrylic painting

"Wild Flowers at Beachy Head"

Beachy Head, East Sussex

After spending 2 weeks suffering from a cough and cold I couldn't wait to get out and about again.
Blue skies and sunshine meant perfect conditions for a trip to the coast.
We decided to visit Beachy Head on the East Sussex coast near Eastbourne.
 It's the first time we have been since the lighthouse has been repainted and it looks rather splendid now.
The cliffs are the highest in the UK reaching 530 ft above sea level which means that the views are stunning!
Taking a walk along the top took us past the Bomber command memorial which has recently been sited here. A very fitting tribute.

Bomber command memorial at Beachy Head , East Sussex

Walking further along I was delighted to see the amount of wild flowers that seem to thrive here. One bank was covered in cowslips and wild orchids , whilst the cliff edge was adorned with viper's bugloss, ox eye daisies , poppies, buttercups and more!
Goodness knows how they survive on the chalk slopes and in the sea winds.
 I decided to capture the flowers against the iconic backdrop of the cliffs and lighthouse.  So here is the result.....
                           "Wild Flowers at Beachy Head"

                                  Acrylic on canvas 16"x 20"

Painting of the "Wild Flowers at Beachy Head"

 

Close up of flowers

Close up of lighthouse

Wall view "Wild Flowers at Beachy Head" Acrylic painting

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 ....
                  

 

Sussex prints, cards, bags and more!

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

 

Painting the view from "Ditchling Beacon "

Ditchling Beacon, Sussex

I have been busy decorating the kitchen and Spring cleaning the house. I am on a mission to make everything shiny again after the bleak Winter months. It's lovely to get the house looking nice again but I was at a point where I needed a break from it, so last weekend we decided to make the most of the sunshine and headed off to Ditchling Beacon .
It was extremely windy but such a clear day that you could see for miles across the Sussex Weald.
At 248 meters above sea level it's the highest point in East Sussex and perfect views for a landscape painting!
My first day's painting concentrated on the background and marking in the main features...

 

Starting to paint Ditchling Beacon 

Today's session was to start work on the slopes of the South Downs and the fields. The trees and bushes have taken quite a while to paint in but it's now starting to come together.

Painting in the fields and slopes of the South Downs

I am now on the third day of painting and progress is now much slower while adding the detail to the gate and fencing

Making a start on the fencing

Just a few hours painting today, I don't do a lot on the weekends but I did make a start on the shadows. The Spring sunshine through the gate causes the shadows to curve and creep over the chalk track emulating the hills behind. It was this that was my initial inspiration to paint this view ...

Adding the shadows

Well the weekend came and went far too quickly! I have spent most of the day painting and have now finished. I hope you like it :)

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

Painting of the view from Ditchling Beacon, Sussex.

                                For sale
 

Spring still life painting and card making

Spring has finally arrived!
Easter has brought with it blue skies and sunshine turning the garden into a symphony of colour!
My favourite of the first arrivals are the miniature alpine daffodils.
I picked a few, put them into a little jug then placed them on the window sill. I didn't intend to paint them but when I saw them in the sunlight a picture immediately came to mind.
I wanted to capture the light and add a musical theme with a couple of small ornaments I had tucked away in a cupboard. I chose the paperweight because the colours fitted in with the composition, it was only after I had sketched it out that I realized that it was egg shaped, just perfect for an Easter painting!

                                         "A Springtime Arrangement"
                                            Acrylic on canvas  

A Springtime Arrangement, Still life painting on canvas

BUY

Today also saw the release of a card making CD featuring my artwork by Ooh La La Creations.
 It was advertised on the Create and Craft channel and it seemed very strange to see my paintings being used on the TV! Great fun though :)

The Paula Oakley Collection,  card making CD

If you would like to find out more then pop over and have a look ...http://www.ooh-la-la-creations.com/Pages/default.aspx