Autumn Inspiration 3

Tags

beautiful light, Conservatory, Expat Expo, late autumn, Lucerne, nature, reference material, Westonbirt Arboretum

These past few weeks have been rather challenging. The builders have been with us for a month now.  Walls have been knocked through and mounds of earth removed, but our new conservatory is up, letting a lot more light into our kitchen.  I have also been preparing for the Expat-Expo in Lucerne, and designing my new collection.

I feel rather sad that I missed out on some autumn sketching outside.  I have had to rely on some old sketches and autumn paintings as reference material. It is late autumn now and there was such a beautiful light on the trees this morning when I drove my son to school.

As if reading my thoughts, Richard my photographer friend sent me some images of beautiful autumn shots taken at Westonbirt Arboretum. Here are some tasters, celebrating autumn in all its glory; very inspirational.

Autumn Inspiration 2

Tags

arts, autumn evenings, Botanical Gardens, Exmoor, Expat Expo, Lucerne, nature, Requiem

It has been a busy time in my studio preparing for the Expat-Expo in Lucerne. However, some mornings were spent working on my new autumn collection. For further reference and inspiration I re-visited some of my old paintings inspired by Autumn, particularly golden Autumn evenings.  They bought back memories of many hours sketching on Exmoor and in the Botanical Gardens in Bath.  Here are a few examples:

The cottage on Exmoor overlooked a valley and hill full of trees which were spectacular in Autumn.  This painting is based on the sun setting behind the hill.  The time when day meets night.

The valley on Exmoor looking out of the cottage window.

This is the valley again, looking from the cottage window.  I named this painting “Exmoor Requiem”. There were several reasons for this, I was listening to Verdi’s and Berlioz’s Requiems while working on this painting.  Also, I was pre-occupied with the concept from “darkness to light”.

This is based on sketches done in the Botanical Gardens in Bath.  I was still thinking about the time when day meets night.

Sketching History

Tags

Basel, Colby Woodland Gardens, Expat Expo, Hidcote

These past couple of months have been taken up with preparing for my show at Expat Expo in Basel, setting up my business and moving into my new studio.  So it was really refreshing to go on a sketching trip to Hidcote Gardens in Gloucestershire with a friend last Sunday.  It was a real joy to sit in those beautiful gardens and draw.  It reminded me of how much I missed it these past few weeks.

This made me reflect on all the places I have sketched in the past.  My trips have taken me to Exmoor, Norway, the Botanical Gardens in Bath, Cornwall and the list goes on.

One of my favourite places however, is the Colby Woodland Gardens in Wales.  I have a passion for woodland gardens and the time spent there with friends is idyllic.  Days are taken up with drawing, with breaks at the tea room and watching a good DVD with a glass of wine in the evenings.  Spring is the time we usually go there and here are some photos to give you a flavour.