Autumn paintings

Autumn seems to have arrived late this year, rather like me keeping up with this Blog ! Ha ha!
I don't think anyone really reads it but it's good for me to be able to look back at my artistic journey. To see what does or doesn't work .
I'm still out walking and posting pictures from my walks on my Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/groups/138021407053592/
I'm also still busy painting and posting my works in progress on my art page here Paula Oakley Art

My Autumn quest started several weeks ago, I was looking for something a little different, a bit more challenging. My travels took me to Ditchling Beacon on the South Downs just as the sun was starting to fade away. The soft evening light was just wonderful , creating a blend of peach and purple hues.
These were new colours for me to explore . I liked the idea of focusing on the South Downs Way sign post as it gave a good sense of direction to my painting

                                     "The Twilight Way" 
                    (Acrylic on canvas 24"x18")

Painting of Ditchling Beacon at sunset

 Then I waited for the trees to change colour...and waited....and waited ...but nothing seemed to happen for ages ! Very slowly the yellows and oranges crept in and very quickly the rain came ! The weather was against me and my walks became few and far between. 
At this time of year I don't venture far from home as the light fades away so quickly and the low sun can make the woods seem very dark and rather eerie ! 
Luckily I am surrounded by beautiful countryside that constantly changes and a delight to see.
I headed to North Chailey and found just what I was looking for to paint .
                                        "Autumn Path" 

Painting the Autumn colours from my walk to North Chailey

  The break in the weather was short lived and once again I was housebound by the rain. I did try a couple of walks but the ground was so very wet and many of my paths were totally flooded . 
Again I waited...and waited until the sun eventually broke through. Once again I headed towards Chailey  where I have several favourite walks.
 There is a gate along one of the paths and whenever I reach it a Pheasant suddenly flies up into the air screeching . It always makes me jump !  Here  the rain had made large puddles that beautifully reflected the trees above. A perfect scene to paint ! 

                                                   "After the Autumn Rain" 

"After the Autumn rain" Acrylic painting on canvas

 

 

Painting streams and rivers

Ashdown Forest

Oh my! What a Summer! All my plans went astray! Trying to coincide weather, destination and transport  failed! To most people this would be trivial but for me as an artist it has been very frustrating! On the other hand it has made me think. It's the first time in 10 years where the pictures in my head have not been obtainable . It's made me realize how easy it is to get stuck in a rut...the easy option. I've had to think harder to get what I want.
My first exploration was to Ashdown Forest. A wonderful area where the author AAMilne lived and wrote his Winnie the Pooh stories, Sounds great but in reality there's very little to offer an artist. Few focal points. So I explored. Heading to the village of Nutley I followed a path that lead me to the old mill stream, it's heritage from the iron works of the Sussex Weald. It was amazing! The tree lined stream, leafy reflections mixed with the glowing orange of iron ore was amazing!

                           "The Old Mill Stream" 

Painting the mill stream on Ashdown forest

 My next outing was very different and  took me to Shoreham by Sea. An interesting and diverse town. I headed towards the river , walking along the path beside the wonderful houseboats 

Shoreham by sea 

 I loved the view over the river where a small abandoned boat sat among the vegetation and bobbed in the tidal water....

                         "High tide and Riverside" 

Painting of an old boat on the river at Shoreham

 

Summer and the frustrated painter!

Well here I am right in the middle of the Summer.
 As a landscape artist I should be in my element......but I 'm not!
I'm surrounded by beautiful countryside and wonderful beaches, so many places that I wish to walk, so many views that I want to paint.
It's the weather that frustrates me so much. Each time I venture out to explore, the clouds appear, the light dims and my quest becomes futile. Yes, there have been some wonderful sunny days but they have either been far too hot for walking or I have had other commitments .
(I don't drive and as the busses are so few and far between my trips need planning in advance . I can't just jump in a car when the sun comes out. )

So I sit here at odds wondering what to do .....
I  make so many demands on myself  ...
perhaps too many ?
Should I persevere ? Change my artistic direction? Explore new ideas?
It's hard to think clearly when your head is full of clouds and your journey ends in disappointment.

I did manage to get to the Lewes Downs on a day when the sun broke through . It's a stunning area in the Summer . There is such a vast array of colourful flowers and so many beautiful butterflies and insects  .
 A frenzied dance on a warm scented breeze. ...

The Southerham nature reserve on the Lewes Downs

My trips here never fail to inspire ....
                                              
                                             "The Butterfly Path" 

"The Butterfly Path" Acrylic painting on canvas 

 After a few fruitless outings I decided my best dose of self medication would be to spend a day at the beach. A colouful and fun filled trip to Brighton.
 Seaside, sticks of rock, deck chairs and the new up-side-down house was sure to put a smile on my face! 

Brighton Summer 2019

 It was a good day and just what the doctor ordered!
 It also reminded me that as we near the end of July that my painting "Joan and Nancy's trip to the seaside" is the August picture in the Artist and Illustrator's 2019 calendar .....now that's a bit special :) 

My painting in the Artist and Illustrators calendar :)

 To mark the occasion I thought I would have a similar bit of fun including the old West pier .....
                                   
                                               "Sun, Salt and Seaworn" 

A fun seaside painting "Sun, Salt and Seaworn"

The "Sun" is for sunbathing.
The "Salt" is for the tattooed sailor .The tattoo says "sink or swim", which I felt was very apt in regards to the fragile state of the pier.
The "Seaworn" refers to the West pier ruins


For now though I shall go back to watching the weather forecast ...
back to thinking....
thinking of what to do .

"Castle Heights" Painting Lewes castle

Lewes castle from the mount

I live just a few miles from the town of Lewes. The county town of Sussex.
Situated within the slopes of the South Downs it is steeped in history and wonderful architecture.
Over the past few years I have  painted  2 of the views overlooking the rooftops

Two of my previous paintings of Lewes

This time I wanted to paint the castle and some of the surrounding buildings. After much thought I decided on the view from the Mount near the Priory ruins. No one really seems to know what the mount actually is but there are some great views from the top and further information about it here  The Mount, Lewes
I went up it last year but unfortunately trees obscured the view  . However on a recent visit I noticed that the trees had been felled ....happy me!  The view was just what I was hoping for! It took a lot of work to paint but I enjoyed every brush stroke .

                                                   "Castle Heights" 
                                    Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18" 

"Castle Heights" Painting of Lewes Castle

 

The South Downs above Rodmell

The Bluebells faded away and the countryside turned to lush greens and brilliant whites . New crops  growing in the fields, Cow parsley along the verges and Hawthorn blossom adorned the trees .
The sun came out and it was a perfect day for a walk over the Downs .
My path took me from Rodmell , past Telscombe and to the sea at Saltdean.
It was a lovely walk with amazing views !

Views from my walk from Rodmell to Saltdean

On my way I passed the vineyard at Breaky Bottom . It sits nestled among the patchwork fields that curve and slope around it . A perfect composition to paint !
                                        "Blossom over Breaky Bottom" 
                                  

"Blossom over Breaky Bottom" Acrylic on canvas

Arriving at the coast I was greeted by the colourful flowers that grow wild along the cliff tops at Saltdean . Thay made a vivid contrast against the white chalk and sea views.
                                                      "Wild by the sea" 

Painting the wildflowers on the cliffs at Saltdean

Painting Bluebells and streams

My oh my! Where did April go? Spring has suddenly arrived in all it's glory!
My painting World has so busy with artworks selling before I've finished them! This means I've got a bit behind with my blog and have little to add to my online galleries. I'm not complaining, life is very good, it just seems that I can't paint fast enough and feels a bit overwhelming at times  !
Anyway, April arrived and I waited enthusiastically for the trees and hedgerows to burst into leaf and colour.
My first walk was along the footpaths between Scaynes Hill and Danehill. A pretty walk of woodland and open fields. It also took me over the Bluebell Railway line , I arrived just as a train passed by.

The Bluebell Railway

 A little further on I came upon a stream at the edge of the woods. It was such a pretty place that I decided to stop and have my lunch there ....it also became the subject of a painting...of course...
                                           "Woodland Spring" (sold) 

"Woodland Spring" Acrylic painting

 
                           

 Then  the Easter Bank Holiday arrived and in just a few days the trees and hedgerows burst into leaf
 and the Bluebells were a mass of scented blue...heaven !

Bluebells at Wivelsfield

The weathar was wonderful so we headed off to Horsted Keynes to explore a few more paths . Our walk took us by the wonderful old Mill house

The old Mill house at Horsted Keynes

If you wish to see more photos from my walks then please take a look at my Facebook page Footpaths and photos
To my delight I found another stream. Usually the trees tend to block out the light but here the blazed through .....  just perfect to paint !
                                         "The Bluebell Stream" 
                                 

"The Bluebell Stream" Acrylic painting on canvas

Ditchling beacon paintings

Ditchling beacon, Sussex

Oh my! March has been such a busy month! I've been decorating the house and Spring cleaning so you can imagine how delighted I was to see the sun shine and escape to the South Downs for the day.
I reached Blackcap at about 8am, such a wonderful time of day to be up there...just me, the Sky Larks  and the wonderful views ...bliss!  The track west over plumpton Plain looked like it went on forever!

Blackcap and Plumpton Plain

As I approached Ditchling Beacon my solitude came to an end as the dog walkers came into sight. I now had to share the rest of my walk . The car parks at the beacon and Clayton windmills mean it's easy walking for those that don't want to wander far and threrfore this area is very popular .
Heading west I stopped at the dew pond for my lunch. A lovely spot where the windswept Hawthorns stand defiant by the still water of the pond. The reflection of the blue sky made it all look quite surreal!

The dew pond along the South Downs Way and the Jack and Jill windmills at Clayton

I veered off from The South Downs way and headed off towards Clayton passing the windmills "Jack" and "Jill" and to catch the bus home.
It was a lovely day and gave me 3 new views to paint.....happy me!

                                        "Sussex Stile"  (Sold) 
                            Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18"  

Painting of the stile at Ditchling Beacon

                                             "Downland Dew Pond
                                   Acrylic on box canvas 24" x 12"

"Downland Dew Pond" Acrylic painting 24" x 12"

                                   "Windswept and Water"
                                                            Acrylic on canvas 12" x10" 

Acrylic painting of the Hawthorn and dew pond at Ditchling

 

Ashdown Forest painting

The sun going down over Ashdown Forest

It snowed! Nothing like the rest of the country had and most had melted by the following morning !
That's very typical for here and we probably won't see any more. Oh well, maybe next year.
As a compromise we went to Ashdown Forest in the hope of catching a good Winter sunset.
 There, to our surprise there were still patches of snow lingering on the high ground ....happy me!
The sunset turned out to be rather amazing as well....

Sunset over Ashdown Forest

 Just as the sun started to sink and before the sky turned red, there was a glow over the forest which to me seemed rather magical and a great scene for a painting ....

                                                     "Forest Glow" 
                                                    Acrylic on canvas 16" x 12" 

"Forest Glow" Painting of Ashdown Forest just before sunset

                                                  "As the sun prepares for bed,
                                                      before it's pillows turn blazing red .
                                                   There is a momentary glow,
                                                      on fiery gorse and Winter snow. "

Frosty morning painting

Goodness! It's been soooo long since I've been here!
Christmas arrived and brought with it a rather unpleasant flu virus . No painting. No walking .
It's been a frustrating time but now at last I'm happily back on track.
The year has got off to a good start with 4 painting sales and the Winter weather is finally arriving....HURRAY!
I awoke last week to be greeted by a wonderful frosty morning and couldn't wait to get out !
The sun was just rising and created a glorious glow upon the scenery around me .

A frosty morning around Newick and Chailey

The colours are so different at this time of the year and painting with them was a new challenge for me. It took a lot of work but I'm happy with the result .

                                            " One Frosty Morning" 
                                  Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18" 

"One Frosty Morning" A painting from my early morning Winter walk

 

Grey skies and still life painting

The grey skies and dark Winter days have arrived and my walks are now few and far between .
I'm hoping for some good frosty mornings or maybe even snow but at the moment it just seems to rain .
So, I have decided to bide my time with a few still life paintings. It's been a long time since my last one and I have sooooo missed creating them!
Once I have an idea in my head it all turns into a fun quest to source the objects that I wish to put together to create the composition. Then there's the challenge of photographing them in different positions and light to discover the effect that I like the best.
Light, shadows, colour, reflections etc.
On a recent Autumn walk I collected a few  twigs ,berries and nuts and decided to put them together with a Ploughmans lunch. This of course required finishing off with a bottle of good ale.
Now , not being one to waste things I thought it only right that I should consume the food and drink the ale whilst still fresh....of course it was all in the name of art you know.
 
                                                 "The Ploughmans"
                                       Acrylic on canvas

"The Ploughmans" Autumn still life painting on canvas

    If you wish to see more views of this painting then please visit my gallery  HERE

Sussex Autumn landcapes

Autumn seemed to take a long time to arrive this year. Then suddenly, for just a few days, the countryside turned into a mass of glorious colour before quickly fading away for another year.
I was lucky enough to have a few sunshine walks during this brief period which gave me some wonderful views to paint.....
The first is from a beautiful walk on the ouskirts of Cuckfield
                                "Autumn Days and Bridle Ways"

"Autumn Days and Bridle Ways" (Cuckfield)

 Second is from an early morning walk around Wivelsfield ...
                                              "One Autumn Morning"

"One Autumn Morning" Wivelsfield)  Acrylic on canvas

  Lastly but not least , from the Sussex Border path walking from Scaynes Hill to Wivelsfield ...
                                                 "Shades of Autumn"

Autumn painting "Shades of Autumn" (Scaynes Hill)

  With Winter now approaching I struggle with the weather and light . It gets harder to get good reference photos for painting. So....I've decided to paint a few more still life subjects and a bit of Summer fun now again :) 
                                                "Waiting for an ice cream" 

"Waiting for an ice cream" A fun and colourful Summer painting

  Oh....and that reminds me....I'm delighted that my painting "Joan and Nancy's trip to the seaside" has been chosen by the Artists and Illustrators magazine to be included in their 2019 calender....I'm August....perfect! :) 

Artists and Illustrators 2019 calender

 

Balsdean. "The silence and the crow"

Balsdean 

Back in the heat of the Summer I explored the paths between Kingston ridge and Rottingdean . A wonderful area, mostly agricultural and I was amazed that the farmers manage to plough and grow crops in such a flint filled area!

Flint on the South Downs

The paths twist and wind along the valley of Balsdean. It was once a small hamlet consisting of farms, manor house and chapel but in 1939 it was taken over by the MOD and the buildings were destroyed by being used for firing practice . It has an interesting history and you can find out more here https://southdownhill.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/balsdean-newmarket-farm-photos/

What struck me the most was as you enter the area you are overwhelmed by the sudden silence ! Just as if someone suddenly turned off the volume .

Balsdean 

There's a few bits and pieces remaining of the lost village but on this day it was just me , beautiful scenery and the odd curious crow.....perfect!

                      "The silence and the crow" 
                               (  acrylic on canvas  )

                                               

"The silence and the crow" Acrylic painting on canvas