Firle Hill Climb revival and painting "September Downs"

Bo Peep and Firle Hill Climb

September saw us jaunting off to watch the Firle Hill Climb. It's an event that used to take place between 1949 and1967 when it was ended due to an unfortunate accident. This is the second year of it's revival but now days the cars drive up the steep slopes of Bo Peep for fun rather than racing against each other.  It's a really good day out and great to be able to see a good selection of old and classic cars actually being driven.(The event is held to raise money for Chailey Heritage school.)

Firle Hill climb 2016

You can see more photos from the hill climb here https://www.facebook.com/paula.oakley1/media_set?set=a.10210109239225370.1073742124.1169430909&type=3
The weather was a bit cloudy at first but as the sun started to break through  the lure of the South Downs got the better of me and I wandered off to explore the route towards Alfriston .

The South Downs way, Bo Peep to Alfriston

It was a good walk and the views towards Cuckmere Haven were wonderful but impossible to photograph due to the direction of the sun .
 Looking north over the Sussex Weald saw a patchwork of freshly harvested fields .
 A short diversion off the South Downs Way took me down a chalk track where the view  just had to be painted! As the Summer draws to a close and Autumn enters in then so the colors of the landscapes change. Much more subdued with longer shadows cast by the early Autumn sun....

                                                 "September Downs"
                                     Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"September Downs" acrylic on canvas

                              "Along the South Downs Way"
                                

Painting the South Downs Way

                                       One of the familiar sign posts along the South Downs Way where the wonderful views over the Sussex Weald fade off into the horizon.
Late Summer flowers put on their final display of colour among the wild and windswept grass. (The view between Firle Beacon and Alfriston)

"The Enchanted Place" Ashdown Forest and Winnie the Pooh

Ashdown Forest and "The Enchanted Place"

About 10 miles north of where I live is  Ashdown Forest  where the author A.A.Milne lived with his son Christopher Robin.
 Their walks took them over the forest landscape..
 “in single file threading the narrow paths that run through the heather”
  inspiring the delightful stories of Winnie the Pooh.
This Summer our grandchildren came to stay and we thought it would be fun to find some of the places in the books so they could see them for real.
Now we couldn't possibly go on a "Pooh Expotition" without a visit to Pooh bridge and indulge in a game of Pooh Sticks . Although the weather wasn't at it's best our six  year old granddaughter enjoyed it, just like Christopher Robin ...

Playing Pooh sticks

We then headed off to find the memorial plaque commemorating A.A.Mile and E.H. Shepard . From here you can see some wonderful views over the forest and beyond.
 Most of the year the landscape is a blaze of yellow from the gorse bushes but in Summer the heather carpets the forest in purples and pinks.

The A.A.Milne memorial

Next we passed "Rue's Sandy Pit" (Old quarry) and headed off to  "Galleons Lap" (Gill's Lap)....
in the words of A.A.Milne....

“Being enchanted, it’s floor was not like the floor of the Forest, gorse and bracken and heather, but close-set grass, quiet and smooth and green. It was the only place in the Forest where you could sit down carelessly, without getting up again almost at once and looking for somewhere else. Siting there they could see the whole world spread out until it reached the sky, and whatever there was all around the world over was with them in Galleons Lap.”

–  The House At Pooh Corner; A.A Milne

Here at "The Enchanted Place" you could see what so inspired Milne to write his stories. The beautiful views, the vast array of earthy colours and the endless places for a young Christopher Robin  to explore.
I have taken a small piece of his inspiration and have used it to inspire myself!
Thank you A.A.Milne......
                                           "The Enchanted Place"
                                   Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"
 

"The Enchanted Place" Ashdown Forest , Acrylic on canvas

Painting the river at Fletching, Sussex

Painting the river at Fletching, Sussex

Sadly the Summer is fading away .
I didn't get to the seaside much this year due to the disputes of Southern rail. As a non driver I didn't fancy getting stuck miles away from home!
So instead I have concentrated more on the countryside which I enjoy just as much.
I took a stroll over to the village of Fletching the other day. It's only 2 miles away but I don't often go there. It's a picturesque village with a large church in the center.

Fletching church

It was all very quiet in the village so after a wander around in the sunshine I headed back to Newick . My route took me a short distance along te narrow country road and then a footpath across the fields.
I was almost at the footpath when I heard the sound of  babbling water coming from the other side of the undergrowth. Being curious....OK...being nosey  I couldn't resist crawling through the bushes to take a look.
To my delight the view that greeted me was just beautiful! The sun was shining through the trees and lighting up the leaves and ripples on the river as it flowed downstream.  I sat for a while mesmerized . This ......just had to be painted! ....

                                                   "Summer Ripples"
                                   Acrylic on canvas 182x 24"

"Summer Ripples" Painting the river at the end of Summer

 

Feature and flowers. Painting the wild flowers of the South Downs

Wild flowers on Mount Caburn, Lewes, Sussex

I think this Summer I have become obsessed with the wild flowers !
I am just in awe of their beauty and have sat for hours taking in my colourful and aromatic surroundings .

Wild flowers on Mount Caburn

Then of course there's the butterflies! So many and so many different varieties . I do however have a favourite.
 It is the small Chalk Hill Blue .

Chalk Hill Blue butterfly

To me it symbolises my return to Sussex ( I lived elsewhere for 30 years) the South Downs and the wonderful events that have happened since being back .

My recent walk took me up the slopes of Mount Caburn, part of the South Downs on the outskirts of Lewes.
 It's like being on top of the World and on a clear day you can see forever! Well....nearly.

View south towards Newhaven from the top of Mt. Caburn

With so much inspirational choice I decided to paint 2 larger compositions, each measuring 30" x 20" and both acrylic on canvas...

                                                     "Chalk Hill Blue"

"Chalk Hill Blue"

 "The Summertime slopes of Mount Caburn on the South Downs in Sussex. Here a carpet of beautiful wild flowers flourish among the grass and Chalk Hill Blue butterflies delightfully dance and flutter in the sunshine.
This painting is highlighted with tiny flecks of metallic paint that gently catch the light of the summer sunshine."


                                                         "Wild Summer"

"Wild Summer"

 
The scent of wild flowers fill the air as Peacock butterflies dance in and out of the colourful blooms. Summertime on top of the South downs in Sussex with breathtaking views towards Firle beacon.
This painting is highlighted with tiny flecks of metallic paint that gently catch the light of the summer sunshine."

 To top off my wonderful Summer I am delighted to announce that this month the Artists and Illustrators magazine have given me a full page feature ! WOW! 

My feature in this month's Artists and Illustrators magazine

                                     "

"By the water's edge" Painting the wildflowers along the river bank

It just wouldn't be Summer without a leisurely walk along the river.
There are some lovely footpaths on the outskirts of my village that allow me to indulge in some lazy daydreams and riverside delights.
A vast array of wildflowers where dragon flies dart and swoop among the spikes of  Purple-loosestrife and the fluffy scented clouds of Meadowsweet.
Summer at it's best!
I wanted to capture the wildness and colours. The dragonflies are highlighted with metallic blue so that they catch the light, just as they do by the river.

                                               "By the water's edge"
                                        Acrylic on canvas

"By the water's edge" Painting the wildflowers along the river bank

 Close up and wall views....

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"A glimpse of Marbled White" Painting the wild flowers on Malling Down, Lewes

Malling Down nature reserve, Lewes, Sussex

The arrival of July takes me on a walk up Malling Down on the outskirts of Lewes.
 It's quite a steep walk but worth every moment! The views across the Sussex Weald are magnificent

Views from Malling Down overlooking the Sussex Weald

and as you can see I couldn't have wished for better weather.
Malling down is a nature reserve renowned at this time of year for it's wild flowers and butterflies. I wasn't too sure what to expect but as I approached the steep slopes of the coombe the area became increasingly more colourful with the vast array of flowers and grasses. I spent quite a while here just taking it all in and watching hundreds of Marbled White butterflies dance among the flower heads.
Pure heaven!
This is also a great place to get a good view of Lewes town nestled among the South Downs.

The coombe, Malling, Lewes

All in all a perfect day and I really wanted to try and capture some of it's essence in a painting....

                                 "A glimpse of Marbled White"
                               Acrylic on canvas 32"x 18"x 1.5"
 

"A glimpse of Marbled White" 

Close up views of the painting...

"Beyond to Kingston Ridge" Painting the South Downs

The view of The South Downs looking towards Kingston, Lewes, Sussex

There's still a couple of areas on the outskirts of Lewes that I have not yet explored so I decided to rectify this and headed to the west side of the town . It was a partially sunny day , not glorious sunshine but enough for a very pleasant walk .
I set off by following the track that runs behind Lewes prison and headed off on a circular route over the downs as shown below by the dotted line.

The fields were golden and delightfully edged by vibrant red poppies swaying gently in the breeze.

  The views were wonderful !
 Looking south (over Ashcombe house towards the village of Kingston) the harvest fields  perfectly complimented the lush green slopes of the South Downs.
From my view point I could  also see the recently restored Ashcombe Windmill with it's unusual six sails  http://www.sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/ashcombe.htm  .
I just loved this view and couldn't wait to get painting!

                       "Beyond to Kingston Ridge"
                           

"Beyond to Kingston Ridge" Painting of the South Downs at Lewes, Sussex

                                    Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 
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                                         https://www.artfinder.com/paula-oakley

Painting the Seven Sisters 2016

The Seven Sisters at Cuckmere Haven, Sussex

I rarely paint the same subject more than once but there is something so magical about the Seven Sisters that I just can't resist!
My walk took me up the steep slope of Seaford Head and along the cliff top to Cuckmere Haven. it's a lovely walk with absolutely stunning views in all direction.

Seaford Head to Cuckmere Haven

Although very warm it stayed rather cloudy so I decided to explore the beach and rock pools at Hope Gap while I waited to see if the sun would break through.

Rock pools and groynes

It's a wonderful place for children to explore....... and me!
I continued on to the beach where the river Cuckmere snakes it's way into the sea. Even on a cloudy day it was an enchanting place to sit and watch the world go by.

After about an hour the skies started to clear and I was able  to take some reference photos for painting. I only intended to paint one but couldn't make up my mind which view to go with....so....I painted two!
                                         "Seven Sisters View "
                                Acrylic on canvas 24"x 12"

"Seven Sisters View" Acrylic painting on canvas
 

                        " Where the river meets the sea" (Seven Sisters)
 

Painting of Cuckmere Haven and the Seven Sisters "Where the river meets the sea" 


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Buttercups, tractors and the South Downs Society

Buttercups, tractor painting and the South Downs

It's been a busy but rather wonderful week. Summer is here and I've been out and about on several walks enjoying the sunshine and scenery.
In between I have also been  working on a commission painting.
 Earlier in the year I was asked if I would paint a vintage Fordson tractor. Now....I'm no tractor expert and although I was given a reference photo I prefer to work from my own. Not only can I  capture the angles and details that I need but it ensures that my paintings are original .
So my quest began! As luck would have it I spotted an advert for the Cuckoo Fair at Laughton ( just out side of Lewes) a big country fair embracing rural life from times gone by.

The Cuckoo Fair, Laughton,East Sussex

 On the day of the event the weather was bright and sunny and to my delight I found just what I needed!
Now all I needed was a backdrop to create a suitable composition.
I chose a landscape view from Lewes Brooks , at this time of year bright yellow blankets of buttercups fill the fields and the South Downs are rich green ....perfect!
The view includes glimpses of the picturesque village of Rodmell , Swanborough Hill and Kingston Ridge.
I have to admit that it wasn't an easy painting , it took about 45 hours and just as many cups of coffee! Ha ha ! But I got there in the end....
                              "Fordson on the Brooks" 
                                   Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

Painting a vintage Fordson tractor 

   ....and the fiddly, time consuming bits! 

Close up of the Fordson engine detail

 Now as you are by now aware I am a great lover of the South Downs .
 They are of course female....voluptuous curves adorned with floral gems and scented like no other! 

View East from Telscombe

I have recently discovered the South Downs Society. 
In their own words ...

"We fight campaigns against inappropriate development and fund conservation projects
We take an active role in safeguarding and improving the rights of way network and extending areas of open access land across the National Park
We encourage the public to learn more about the National Park
As the National Park Society we watch over the activities of the National Park Authority as a challenging friend including suggesting things they might do to enhance the National Park"

 A few weeks ago I entered a competition on their Facebook page , it required recognizing a particular image from the South Downs. It was by total coincidence a place that I had passed on my walk that very morning! On Monday I was delighted to be informed that I had won !
My prize was a goody bag selection of their gifts that can also be purchased from their web site http://www.southdownssociety.org.uk/support-us/merchandise-2/

A gift selection from The South Downs Society

 Never was a prize so perfectly matched to it's recipient ! (The box of chocolates didn't last long enough to be photographed )
Well, only one thing to do now and that's to sit out in the garden and enjoy the sunshine with a good cup of coffee...... just PERFECT!