"Winter trees" on the South Downs

In previous years because of the weather and light I have painted Still Life subjects during the Winter months. This year though I have decided to stay with landscapes.
The views look so very different at this time of year but just as impressive !
I love the sloping curves of the South Downs and the way that the fields interweave with each other.
I found the perfect composition at Falmer, the slopes and patterned  fields all set off by the lines of the Winter trees.
 A colouful mixture incorporating a selection of purples, greens and browns ....perfect!

                                                          "Winter Trees" 
                                                         Acrylic on canvas 24" x 18" 

"Winter Trees" Landscape painting of Falmer, Sussex

 For more details please check out my Artfinder Gallery https://www.artfinder.com/product/winter-trees-d734/

"Fading Boundaries" Painting the morning mist

Finally January draws to a close.
 It's seemed like long month full of fog and mist and not very good conditions to get out and about with my camera .
One day last week I couldn't even see the house over the road as the mist was so thick, so I decided it would have to be a cleaning day instead. However , just after 9am the sun started to shine through and I found myself spending more time looking out of the window than being productive.
It was no good trying to fight the desire to get out so I grabbed my camera, put on my boots and headed off.
I didn't want to walk far as my ankle is still rather painful after spraining it. With this in mind I decided to take a stroll along one of my favourite paths which is part of the Ouse Valley Way.
The path takes me north of the village through Rotherfield woods. These are lovely woods and have an almost magical atmosphere to them, they are the sort of woods that would make you believe in fairy tales !

Rotherfield woods, Newick (Sussex) 

On the far side  the path leads you to where the River Ouse meanders between the fields and the outskirts of  the Sheffield Park estate (Sheffield Park Gardens) . It's a lovely part of the river , I have spent many Summer days just watching the Dragonflies and Beautiful Demoiselles dance and swoop over the water.  But the Winter brings a different kind of light and it all looks very different.

Winter along the river Ouse

I usually end my walk when I reach the Bluebell Railway but the mist added such a magical atmosphere to the morning that I ventured a little further to explore the other side of the river .
Now my walk took me around the perimeters of  Sheffield Park , best known for it's beautiful gardens  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden
This area is a much more natural landscape than the gardens and a delight to explore...

Sheffield Park, Sussex 

I could have spent all day there but the Winter light fades so quickly and I still had the walk back.
As I was about to leave I met the archaeologist  David Brown, who is working with the National Trust tracing the boundaries of an ancient deer park.
 I didn't realize at the time but this brief meeting would play a big part in my next painting !
On returning home I browsed through my photos and was delighted to discover that I had managed to capture some of amazing misty views that I had seen.
Now it was time to paint! I loved the way that the scenery just seemed to suddenly disappear and I chose a gate and fence to be the subject of my composition....a fence....a boundary....
it was then that I recalled my brief meeting with David Brown and how fitting the idea of the deer park boundaries disappearing just just like my own.....
                                           
                                          " Fading Boundaries"
                                 Acrylic on canvas 24"x 12" 

"Fading Boundaries" Acrylic landscape of a misty morning in Sheffield Park, Sussex

"In the grounds of Sheffield Park estate (Sussex, UK) Morning mist lays heavy over the long forgotten landscape of an ancient deer park. Now new boundaries disappear into a magical and atmospheric view bringing back images of the past.
This painting contains gentle iridescent highlights that catch the light enhancing the "glow" of the early morning mist." https://www.artfinder.com/product/fading-boundaries/

 

"Winter Reflections "

Well it's been a bit of a slow start to the year. I unfortunately sprained my ankle which meant I havn't been able to get out much . It's been so very frustrating!
Stubborn determination couldn't keep me in for long though and my recent walks have been close to home ( just to be on the safe side).
I'm lucky to live in a village where there are plenty of rural paths to follow and in  the recent frosty weather they were a delight to walk.
My path took me around the south side of Newick through woods, over fields and by the frozen waters of Winter.....perfect....just right for a painting!
                                            "Winter Reflections"
                                  Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Winter Reflection" Acrylic painting

 "A cold Winter's day in the Sussex countryside when the sunlight barely manages to break through the trees upon the icy waters of the lake .
The muted colours mingle with the mist and soft rays of sunshine as the wild geese fly in almost unnoticed . "
 https://www.artfinder.com/product/winter-reflections-ba03/

                                      

The South Downs and "Lunch along the way"

The South Downs at Firle, East Sussex

Happy New Year!
I thought I would start 2017 off with a South Downs painting.
The blue skies and sunshine were too good to miss over the holidays, so we took  a trip down to Firle beacon for a break out in the fresh air.
 We obviously weren't the only ones with that thought , I couldn't believe how busy it was!
 My explorations are usually during the week so I'm used to hardly seeing anyone else but with such wonderful views along The South Downs Way I wasn't surprised .
I spotted some walkers taking a lunch break on the bench whilst looking out over  the  Sussex Weald as it faded off into the horizon.
 So many times I have done the exact same thing myself.
 Couldn't be more perfect for a painting!

                                 "Lunch along the way"
                           Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 
                   

"Lunch along the way" Painting of the view from The South Downs Way at Firle, East Sussex

 

If you would like to see more then pop on over to my gallery page https://www.artfinder.com/paula-oakley

Christmas time and back to the seaside !

Well it's been a very busy few weeks! I have now sold so many paintings that I can't actually keep up with the demand ! 
I have however made sure to make time for the little things that make Christmas a little bit more special .  A bit of baking...a bit of making and....... a bit of festive cheer :)  I thought this year that I would have a woodland animal theme for when the grandchildren visit . For something a little different I made a cake stand for the Yule log, it has 2 doors that hide a secret surprise .....

Tree stump cake stand

of course I can't tell you what's inside or it wouldn't be a surprise!

Now as you know I'm rather partial to a good ale and thought it was only right that I should enter into the spirit of my theme .....well...it would be rude not to ;)

Christmas is an odd season, you find yourself doing things that you wouldn't normally do . I dislike cooking but it wouldn't seem right if I didn't make a few mince pies, with added cherry liqueur and chopped marzipan. A rather sticky result but tasted pretty darn good.

I was however being watched through the kitchen window to make sure that I made them right...

he was more concerned about his peanuts than me !

Another thing I enjoyed was a visit to our village church, I'm not religious but couldn't resist going to see the Christmas Tree festival. I have to say it was delightful and

Newick church Christmas Tree Festival 

there's not many villages that would put Guy Fawkes on top of the tree..brillant !ha ha!

Newick bonfire society's Christmas tree 

So then, "what's all this got to do with the seaside? " I hear you ask.
Well, as I don't cope very well with the dark gloomy days of Winter I specifically planned to paint something colourful and lighthearted to  help keep me sane. The best subject of course is the Summertime seaside.  I decided to create a composition that would capture a typical day at the beach..
So I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and some wonderful Summertime memories x
                       "Joan and Nancy's trip to the seaside" 
                                  Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 

Acrylic seaside painting 

 A few days later........
So....did you guess what was inside the cake stand ? 

  Squirrel, Hedgehog, Fox and Owl !   

"Downland Dawn" and "Old Spot and Spuds"

Walking up Kingston ridge with views towards Lewes, Sussex

My painting world has been so very busy over the past couple of months . It's now nearing the end of November and this year's sales now amount to 37....that's just brilliant!
 I always paint what I want to paint rather than creating something  because I think it would sell, so it's very reassuring to know that  my artwork is well received.

We've been fortunate with the weather this Autumn so a couple of weeks ago I decided to take one last  South Downs walk of the year . I wanted to see the sunrise but unfortunately I had no way of getting there quite that early.
I caught the 7am bus to Lewes and headed off along the old Juggs road towards the village of Kingston. By the time I reached the bottom of Kingston ridge the sun was just above the horizon . It was a beautiful morning, no breeze, blue skies and a low lying mist hovering over the hill tops.

The view south east from Kingston ridge looking towards Beddingham

It's not the easiest of walks as it's pretty steep but the views were splendid !
As the sun rose it gradually lit my path ahead causing the grass covered slopes to almost glow . This would be my fondest memory of my walk and my wonderful  inspiration !

                                            "Downland Dawn"
                                                Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Downland Dawn" Acrylic painting of the path up Kingston Ridge

 I continued along the top for about 3 miles before returning. By this time the mist had cleared so on my return to Lewes I stopped to have my lunch by Ashcombe windmill. It has recently been restored and this was the first time I had seen it with it's new sails...looks rather magnificent ....

Ashcombe windmill, Kingston

 Now, just I was preparing to paint "Downland Dawn" I received a request for 2 paintings. I don't often take on commissions. They can often come with such a long list of requirements that the whole thing gets to feel rather laboured and the enthusiasm wanes . These however were not only local subjects and views that I am familiar with but also fitted perfectly with the compositions that I have been working on this year. To top things off I was entrusted to do things "my way". 
The first subject is the farm shop in the village of Piltdown "Old Spot Farm Shop" . It sells a splendid range of quality and locally sourced food. Well worth a visit if you're in the area http://www.oldspotfarmshop.co.uk/
As you know I'm rather partial to a good ale but a good Sussex cheese comes a very close second!

  It's a unique building  .Looks like a Swiss chalet  in the heart of Sussex .  I love the quirkiness , the colours and it's originality. Autumn also seemed a perfect time to paint it ...harvest time ....
                                            " Old Spot and Spuds" 
                                                      Acrylic on canvas 32"x 16" 

"Old Spot and Spuds" Acrylic on canvas

 Behind the farm shop the view takes you over the trees and fields to the village of Fletching. This was the second painting. The contrasting shapes and colours of the Autumn trees with the farms and church spire in the distance....
                               
                                                    "Fletching Views"
                                                       Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Fletching Views"

 As I said, life's been busy and as much as my gallery needs stocking back up I have decided to have a painting break . I'm now busy cleaning through the house and getting ready for the oncoming celebrations of my birthday and Christmas....life is good! 

 

Dark days and painting a "Misty Morning"

As the days get shorter and the sun sits low in the sky it becomes increasingly harder to get good clear reference photos for painting. I dislike these dark gloomy months and try to find ways of using them to my advantage.
I have therefore been venturing out really early whilst it's still dark so as to catch the bright morning light with the rising sun. The air is chilled and the first frosts blanket the ground with an icy glow.
The landscape looks very different now and quite atmospheric . You never quite know what awaits you around a corner or beyond the hedge.
It was on one of these days that I watched the mist form in the fields as the rising sun appeared over the tree tops.
 I witnessed a painting being created. Nature was the canvas and the sun was the brush.......

                                              "Misty Morning" 

"Misty Morning" Acrylic on canvas. Inspired from a walk around north Chailey

The dark days mean that my walks will now be few and far between.
 However, on the bright side this means that I shall be working through my reference photos that I have been purposely collecting during the year.
 There will be moments of colourful Summer fun to brighten up my days once again .
For a start I am delighted to announce that this month's Artist and Illustrators magazine have included my painting "Large Cod and Chips" in their 2017 calendar ....I'm "August"....perfect! 

My painting "Large Cod and Chips" in the A&I calendar

   

"Autumn Highlights" Painting the colours of Autumn

Autumn around the fishing lakes at Horsted Keynes

It's been a rather busy week.
 My husband took a week off work which meant  I had good company to explore with and my painting "September Downs" is featured in this month's "Inside Sussex Magazine" and "Inside Kent Magazine" .....excellent!

Top left . "September Downs"

Between trips out I have been continuing with the Autumn paintings . The weather is unpredictable for planning walks and the seasonal colours will not be around for long.
I decided to to be slightly less obvious and chose to paint the conifer trees that looked so magical in the early morning mists in the woods nearby....

                                                "An Evergreen Autumn" 
                                       Acrylic on canvas 24" x 12" 

"An Evergreen Autumn"  Acrylic painting on canvas

Then the sun came out!
 We headed off to Horsted Keynes to find the fishing lakes. They are old hammer ponds that lie just south of Broadhurst Manor, a beautiful old building one occupied by my husband's ancestors ...

Broadhurst Manor, Horsted Keynes
   
The walk along the lakes is part of the "Sussex Border Path" and totally delightful!

 The bright sunshine really brought out the colour of the trees and their reflections creating so many  perfect scenes to paint ! 

"Autumn Highlights"
Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"
  

"Horse Chestnut lane" Painting the colours of Autumn

Early Autumn around the village of Scaynes Hill.

I've spent the past couple of weeks exploring some of the footpaths in the near by villages of Chailey and Scaynes Hill.
 Paths that take me in and out of East and West Sussex.
Heading out before sunrise meant that I could catch the early morning light  and some splendid views...

Views from my early morning walks

The leaves are only just starting to change and I'm looking forward to revisiting these paths when they are in full Autumn colour.
 It's the Horse chestnut trees that always seem to be the first so you can imagine how delighted I was to find a path in Scaynes Hill that took me along a lane edged with a line of fiery conker trees !
An ideal view to become the first of this season's paintings ....
                                     
                                                "Horse chestnut lane" 
                                         Acrylic on canvas

"Horse chestnut lane" Painting the Autumn colours from a walk around Scaynes Hill, Sussex

 

"Downland Haze" Painting the South Downs

Early Autumn on the South Downs in East Sussex

Autumn has arrived ! The trees are only just starting to change colour and the sun is still shining!
This time of year can be rather bland and colourless so my explorations ....be they small ....took me to the South Downs at Berwick in East Sussex
Here a mixture of sea mists , low cloud and sunlight cover the South Downs with a soft  Autumn  haze.
The fields have been recently ploughed and I just love the white glow of the chalk soil !
Among the picturesque surroundings you will find the pretty little church of Berwick. If you are interested in the Bloomsbury Group then this church is a must ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomsbury_Group  
  They painted the interior with beautiful murals .....

Berwick church, East Sussex

Paintings at Berwick church

Any way....back to the painting. It's the chalk white views that really caught my eye and a lovely old farm cottage in the middle of it all set the scene perfectly!

                                            " Downland Haze"
                                Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Downland Haze" Autumn painting of the South Downs in East Sussex

This is the same place that I painted a couple of weeks ago but last time the view was from the top of the South Downs looking towards the house and church

                                                 "September Downs"

"September Downs" Acrylic painting of the South Downs at Berwick

                                                *****
Now, on another note, due to past problems (loss, damage etc ) I lost confidence in  shipping abroad. However there has been such a large amount of requests that I have now joined an online gallery that will deal with all the things that tend to stress me out . So please visit my gallery to see what's available ..... thank you ......https://www.fineartseen.com/artist/paula-oakley-original-art/

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