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Monthly Archives: September 2011

Public Footpaths in Great Britain: Walk This Way

30 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by pat in Art, England, paintings, Peak District, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, Ashford-in-the-Water, England, Footpaths, Peak District

No matter where you go in Great Britain you can find people “walking”, which is the American equivalent of hiking. They can be sole walkers, or in small groups, but they take to the countryside with such determination, often with stick in hand and a sensible pair of brogues on their feet.

The beauty of doing this in GB is that the country so whole heartedly supports the idea with the availability of public footpaths. I find this a splendid alternative to gated communities. These “rights of way” offer the most serious of long distance walkers easy access to the countryside and wilderness areas. In England and Wales, these walkers have legally protected rights to “pass and repass” on footpaths, bridleways and other byways which have been declared public, even as they cross private property and farmland. The paths are marked with simple posts at junctions, and once you start noticing them you see them everywhere.

The wonderful part of all this is that they connect the loveliest villages, and you can often find a tea shop at the end of the path, where you can set your stick down and take a break.  Of course there is always the pub on the next corner for those who need a bit more fortification before continuing.

One of our favorite places to visit is the classic walking area in the UK, the Peak District.  And our favorite village there is Ashford-in-the-Water.  Now, we are known for our short walks, compared to those hardy soles who take out over the hills and dales for hours on end.  But on this particular morning in late summer, we took off from our lovely warm hotel, crossed the footbridge over the river, and opened the gate to cross on to the nearby footpath. Observing the very necessary courtesy of firmly closing the gate behind us so the cows wouldn’t decide to go on their own walkabout, we started up the hill and across the field.  It was spectacular.

Within a short distance we discovered a small farm house that seemed to reign over these rolling hills and monumental sky.  It seemed so simple. But it took my breath away (or was that the hill).

The painting I did of this farmhouse still hangs in my living room, living proof that I had actually crossed over in to the realm of the footpaths. Every time I see it I can’t help but smile.

"The Stone Cottage" oil painting, 12 x 10", artist's collection

 

Artist’s note: When I start on a painting, I often work out the basic composition, and equally important, the undertones of light and shadow.  Will it be warm, or cool?  Will there be high contrast, or muted tones?  This is often done with a quick underpainting. I found a photo of this original underpainting for “Stone Cottage” in my files, and thought it would be fun to share.

 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

26 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by pat in Art, Gardens, National Trust, paintings, Travel

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

apples, art, castle, England, flowers, garden, Kent, oil painting, orchards, paintings, Sissinghurst

Of all the gardens I have visited in England, one of the most beautiful and original has got to be Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Located in a rural area of Kent, I found it quite by accident after coming across a small documentary about it on television years ago. I put it on my list as a “must visit next time we are in England”, and the next time we were in England, we rambled through the countryside east of Tunbridge Wells and found it near the village of Cranbrook on the A262. There, near the ruin of a great Elizabethan house is the spectacular National Trust garden, gently tucked in among the farmland and surrounding woods.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

It was a gray and rainy day (how unusual for England), which was a gift really. The garden was green and fresh, and there were hardly any visitors on that particular day. The history of the garden is fascinating, and many words have been written on the garden’s designers Harold Nicolson, the writer and diplomat, and Vita Sackville-West, poet and novelist. But I was most engaged with the visual richness and complexity of the many garden rooms.

Each time I turned a corner, a new intimate garden would be revealed. And on this particular day I seemed to have it all to myself. My husband was game for awhile, but finally retreated to the warm, dry restaurant located on the grounds, and left me to explore at my leisure. He was happy, I was happy.  Win, win.

From Vita’s solitary tower in the center of the gardens I looked down on her secluded world and got a new perspective. I could see the few visitors weave through the paths under their bright umbrellas. Occasionally they would meet. This was the inspiration for “The Encounter”, an oil painting I did in the year following my visit.

The Encounter, oil, 36 x 48", private collection

"The Encounters" inspiration

Another tower view

Perhaps one of the most interesting “rooms” to me was the white garden. It is magical and serene, especially in the mist.

 

In the painting that I did from this enclosure, I inserted a mysterious figure moving through the garden. I also increased the moodiness of the scene. I could only imagine past visitors finding their way through the mist to the rose arbor. And I wanted it to look like dusk, when white gardens look their best.

"White Garden", oil painting, 30 x 24", artist's

"White Garden" inspiration

After leaving the white garden, I moved outside the “rooms” in to the fields beyond and found the most glorious apple orchard. The red fruit was bright from the rain, and weighing the branches down. It smelled delicious.

It was all there. Another painting…or two.

"Apples I". oil painting, 7 x 5", artist's

"Apples II", oil painting, 7 x 5", artist's

It is so fascinating to me where new inspiration for art comes from. I can travel and wander for days, and may not find anything that truly inspires me. And then all of a sudden, I find a Sissinghurst. It just strikes me immediately and ideas for paintings roll through me.

I still like to return to my quiet studio and let the idea “cook”. But I immediately know when I see it that there is a real visual to draw on, and I always make notes, whether with my camera, or in a sketch book, or on a scrap of paper. When I begin the work, it all comes back in a rush…the sight, the smell, even the sounds of the moment when I was actually there.

 

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