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~ a romance with art and all things British

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Category Archives: Cornwall

Scones, Cake and Tea

15 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by pat in Art, Cornwall, England, paintings, sketching, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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cake, painting, scones, St. Ives

Somehow in over 20 years of going back and forth to England I had missed St. Ives, an artistic port tucked away in Cornwall.  This past autumn we put it right. And as is often the case, My Beloved Brit researched on line and found the most glorious spot on a tiny back street hidden in the midst of this famous seaside town.

“Olives” is a truly lovely spot that specializes in tea and scones, but also has marvelous cakes and coffees.  I knew immediately it begged a painting, no matter how daunting the details (That plaid shirt!  That glassware!).

Nonetheless, she persisted.

I loved the colors and the contrasts between hard and soft surfaces.  Slowly I worked on putting a first layer of paint down.

I had taken several photos of our young barista, but loved this layout of reaching for a cup.  The extended arm helped me not lose her in the jumble. Once I had the first pass of color completed I started to slowly return and add detail, highlights and tone.

As i proceeded, I decided where I wanted emphasis.  I spent days on her shirt, face and hair.  But what a release in this time of anxiety to work on such a lovely expression of pure joy.  A full 7 weeks later, working almost every weekday, it was done.

Scones, St. Ives, 30 x 24″, oil

And, by the way, My Beloved Brit had the Vegan Chocolate Cake, and I had Cranberry Scone with clotted cream and jam. One of the best “lunches” we had in England.

English Inspiration

10 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Bath, Burnham-on-Crouch, Cornwall, Cornwall, England, Gardens, Grasmere, Lake District, Lake District, London, paintings, sketching, The New Forest, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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We’ve just returned from three weeks in the UK, our first visit in 3 years.  For Mike, it was a whirlwind tour of meeting up with friends and family, trying to catch up with all the news and rehash old stories. I love that part of these trips, but for me, my goal was searching for enough painting resources and inspiration to sustain me in to the future.

These trips give me the space and freshness that I rely on for months in my studio work.  Often I revisit my photos years later, and find a new vision that I hadn’t seen before. There is something about having the time to explore an unfamiliar environment, away from the daily routine.  You see things in a different way. Connections are made, insights discovered.

Whether on country strolls, or museum visits in the cities, it re-charges me for months to come.  This time I took close to 500 photos! But often I just walked and breathed in the images.

We started in Kent, in the Southeast corner of Great Britain and found a great bolt hole between Dover and Canterbury.  It was a beautiful resort, the Broome Park Hotel. Although promoted as a “Golf Resort and Wedding Venue” tucked in to the countryside, I found glorious walks in the early morning across the surrounding fields with no one else around except the birds and sheep. We had a “lodge” on the grounds with two bedrooms a living room and a washer and dryer!  A real bonus for European travel.  And we could walk to the pub in the main manor house at night along the fields for dinner. It was a mid-week bargain, and we could catch up on sleep.

Revived, we found time for a wonderful visit with family in Essex,

and joined up with old sailing mates at the Southampton Boat Show.

And then it was back to the countryside – The New Forest and the Montagu Arms.  The wild horses roam the streets in this unenclosed pastureland, heathland and forest, both in the countryside and through the towns and villages. On one of our very first trips to England together, Mike took me to The New Forest as a special treat, and I still love it.  Perfect weather that first week also helped. Mid-70s and sunny!  Could this really be September in England?

A quick stop at one of my favorite spots, Bath, then we were on our way to Cornwall and St. Ives, a north coast town that is now home to Tate St. Ives Art Museum. It was a challenge to park in the hilly, seaside town and make it down cobblestone streets with luggage in tow to our Inn, The Lifeboat. But when we got there it was worth the challenge. Reception told us it is a right of passage to deal with parking and luggage in St. Ives.  We succeeded, barely, but the reward was a room facing the sea right on the front.

We loved it here.  It was filled with galleries and art for me, and boats and pubs for Mike. It is a huge haven for artists with The Tate in the center of it all.  The exhibitions at the museum focus on the history of many local artists who came here during WWII to escape the bombings in London, and ended up starting a fresh new art colony. The tradition continues with studios tucked everywhere, many of them open during this autumn “Arts Week”.


Mike found a fabulous place in the backstreets of St.Ives, “Olives”, and we did a “lunch” of scones and cake and tea that was to die for. There were winding roads all through the town filled with many surprises, and we often just wandered, seeing where the twisted narrow roads would take us. It was a joy to explore, always looking for a new sea view for dinner.

Finally, we went down to the south side of Cornwall to visit and catch up with more family, and rediscover one of our favorite spots, Charlestown. I actually drove that day from St. Ives to Charlestown on those teeny tiny roads, roundabouts, and confusing lanes through the Cornish country. But we made it without a scratch!

The weather was changing, and fierce winds blew us along our walks from our Inn down the lane to the sea.

We then headed up the west side of England in the rain, across Bodmin Moor

and after a stop in the Cotswolds at a familiar site…The Hare and Hounds…

we were off to the north and The Lake District.

We had four days in the Wordsworth Inn in Grasmere and although the weather finally turned showery and cloudy after over a week of sunshine (very un-British) we didn’t mind. It’s the grey country, after all. And it’s what makes everything so lush and green.

I had brought my rain coat and “brollie” and managed to walk every day, visiting old haunts and discovering new inspiration.

After the best break ever, we headed back down south through Cambridge, home of one of my favorite art museums, The Fitzwilliam, and a room with a view of the punts on the River Cam.

Then on to visit friends at Burnham-on-Crouch, Mike’s old sailing hub,

and finally the last 5 days in London.  Phew!

London meant The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, and The Royal Academy.

We did Notting Hill, Piccadilly, Kensington and Hyde Park…and I even took a rainy afternoon to see a matineee of “Downton Abbey”.  What could be more appropriate.

We even managed to fit in Sunday Roast with friends in the center of London.

Finally Heathrow, and home! To paint…where to even begin?

Now starts the time of looking for connections, sorting through images, thinking of patterns and context of not just the visual images but also the stories that connect us all.  The depth and underlying currents are just as important to me as the visual beauty of our world. Country lanes and city streets with the background sounds of Brexit on the news.  I am already looking forward to the studio season.

Port Isaac, aka Doc Martin’s Port Wenn

29 Sunday May 2016

Posted by pat in Cornwall, England, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Doc Martin, Port Isaac, Portwenn

We love the British tv series Doc Martin.  It reminds us so much of our visits to the southwest coast of England.  This trip, we decided to visit the series’ filming location in person, on the north coast of Cornwall near Tintagel (the legendary location of King Arthur’s Court).

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It was a chilly, gray late spring day.  Typical for England.  And the village of Port Isaac (aka Port Wenn) was empty before the big bank holiday weekend coming up.

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We parked in the lot on the outskirts of town and headed down the hill to the town, hugging the coastline. As we turned the curve, things looked awfully familiar.

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The first thing we could pick out was Doc Martin’s surgery, and Burt’s “Large Restaurant”, although of course both were not really what they are on the British comedy series.

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Mike thought it looked very quiet and not like the show at all.

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The streets and shops were almost empty, the cast and crew nowhere to be seen on the quiet streets.

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I saw exactly what I expected, a typical Cornish fishing village that sometimes served as a movie set for a famous popular TV show.

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We headed back up the hill to our car for the hour drive to visit my beloved Brit’s cousins in St. Austell on the south coast.

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Magic.

Pretty Pictures from Burnham Week

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by pat in Bath, Cornwall, England, Guana Island

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Burnham Week 2013

With a week filled with races and partying and visiting, it seems only appropriate to share some of the images from Burnham Week 2013. Just in case we forget how absolutely perfect the weather was this year despite one Saturday of fog and rain, here are a few images to remind us.

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IMG_9393Goodbye Burnham. Thanks for the week.

 

 

Burnham Week 2013

31 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by pat in Burnham-on-Crouch, Cornwall, England, Sailing

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Burnham Race Week

The end of Burnham Week, and the end of summer…August 31st is the last race of the week, and for My Beloved Brit, probably the year.

The sea wall at Burnham-on-Crouch. Photo by me.

The sea wall at Burnham-on-Crouch. Photo by me.

The town is quieter this week than in past years, but still lovely. Especially this summer, one of the warmest England has seen in years.

The view from our window yesterday at The White Harte. Photo by me

The view from our window yesterday at The White Harte. Photo by me

The shops are busy and there are not many empty storefronts. The lines for ice cream on the river front are long.

Burnham's High Street. Photo by me

Burnham’s High Street. Photo by me

But, there are fewer boats these days racing.

Day one of racing, Burnham Race Week 2013. Photo by me.

Day one of racing, Burnham Race Week 2013. Photo by me.

Many say it is the economy. Some say people can’t afford to take the time off.

The "RBs". The boat MBB was on is 80 years old, and pink. Lovely. Photo by me.

The “RBs”. The boat MBB was on is 80 years old, and pink. That’s it second from the right. Lovely. Photo by me.

Dock talk (the general banter on the sea wall about this and that) says that the young sailors are not coming along to replace the sailors retiring from the racing circuit.

The Crouch Yacht Club on the river. Photo by me

The Crouch Yacht Club on the river. Photo by me

The new sailors are here, but many less than in the past.

My Beloved Brit sails out through the fog on a small boat called an "RB". Photo by me

My Beloved Brit sails out through the fog on a small boat called an “RB”. I love that it is pink and the crew wears pink shirts under their jackets. Photo by me

When I first started visiting Burnham-on-Crouch for Burnham Week with my Beloved Brit over 16 years ago, the crowds were massive. Now it seems so much calmer with less crowds on the seawall, and fewer boats competing.

The seawall in front of our hotel, The White Harte. Photo by me

The seawall in front of our hotel, The White Harte. Photo by me

The streets are more peaceful, although bands of revellers still walk the sea wall at night going from yacht club to yacht club seeing who has the better band and the best sailing banter to relive the day.

A lone figure watches the start of the race. Photo by me.

A lone figure watches the start of the race. Photo by me.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

The "RBs" starting their race. Photo by me

The “RBs” and “Squibs” lining up to start to race. Photo by me

Will it come back to its former glory when the economy finally recovers?

And they're off! Photo by me.

And they’re off! Photo by me.

Or is the golden age of racing a thing to tell stories about at the local pub?

The Pub

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by pat in Cornwall, England, entertainment, Food, Music, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

a pint, beer gardens, chips British, fish and chips, pubs

On a windy, rainy, March day, there might be nothing better than a visit to an English pub. It can warm you up and cheer the day.

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A pub in Charlestown, Cornwall. Photo by me

Most likely there is a fire in a corner of the room somewhere…at the very least, a heated discussion at the bar about the latest football match (our soccer).

A country pub in Castle Combe. Photo by me

A country pub in Castle Combe. Photo by me

A pub is one of my favorite places to eat.  They usually have a huge menu with lots of choices, both healthy and otherwise, and if nothing else, I can get a warm jacket potato (baked potato) with baked beans and cole slaw.  These pubs are cozy and usually “Cheap and Cheerful”, as the British say…a social gathering place as well as a place to eat or grab a drink.

The "High" Street in Burnham has several pubs up and down.  Many have their favorite, or "local". Photo by me

The “High” Street in Burnham has several pubs up and down. Many Brits have their particular favorites, or “local”. Photo by me

And there is almost always someone you know if it’s your “local”. Rather like Cheers, UK style.

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Southwold is a brewery town (Adnams Brewery-we did the tour), and has many, many pubs at the edge of the sea in eastern England. Photo by me.

I remember growing up in New York and there was an American version of the English pub in every town, or town center.

The pub at the Broadway Hotel in the Cotswolds...a modern twist on a classic Inn. Photo by me

The pub at the Broadway Hotel in the Cotswolds…a modern twist on a classic Inn. Photo by me

The front room would have the bar and most likely a dart board.  The back — the family dining room, often with great inexpensive Italian food.

A pub in Bath, with a great restaurant upstairs. Photo by me

A city pub in Bath,England with a great restaurant upstairs. Photo by me

It’s much the same in England, although the front room bar serves the pint of beer warm, the dining/family area most likely serves fish and chips and gammon (ham) and chips (fries), and there almost alway is a karaoke night.

A friendly pub lunch stop while touring Norfolk area of England between country estate house tours. Photo by me.

A friendly pub lunch stop we made while touring Norfolk area of England between country estate house tours. Photo by me.

If weather permits, there is also usually a beer garden with tables and space for the children to run around.

There is usually space outside to sit.  We are always amazed to see people outside on a chilly grey day. Photo by me

There is usually space outside to sit.  Hunstanton, Norfolk, England. Photo by me

We are always amazed to see people outside on a chilly grey day sitting in the garden.

A pub on the water in Fowey, Cornwall with great fish and chips. Photo by me

A pub on the water in Fowey, Cornwall with great fish and chips. And mushy peas! Photo by me

One pub I remember even had a room upstairs with a bouncy castle.  This definitely is a family affair in England.

A pub in the Lake District on our way to Scotland.  Photo by me

A pub in the Lake District on our way to Scotland. Photo by me

The interesting thing is that the social dynamics are very similar to what I remember from New York.

In Essex, our last stop to meet friends before heading to Heathrow. Photo by me

In Essex, our last stop to meet friends before heading to Heathrow. Photo by me

One night sitting in a pub waiting for dinner to come with My Beloved Brit and cousins in Cornwall on the Southwest coast, we watched as the ladies came in and stood at one end of the room, and the men came in and stood at the other.

The White Hart in Burnham. A popular place to meet. Photo by me

The White Hart in Burnham. A popular place to meet. Photo by me

By the time we finished dinner, and a few pints later, the two sides had begun to talk to each other, and it might just prove to be an eventful night.

A London pub at Happy Hour. Photo by me

A London pub at Happy Hour. Photo by me

Of course we elders were gone way too early to really see all the excitement.  When the music started, it was time to make our exit.

The Flower Box

10 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by pat in Burnham-on-Crouch, Cornwall, England, Gardens, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Cornwall, Flower box, London

Everywhere we went in Great Britain on our travels there was a great profusion of flower boxes.

A perfect window dressing. Photo by me

From the simplest to the most elaborate they were everywhere.

A creative flower display in Fowey, Cornwall, England on the southwest coast. Photo by me

The English love their gardens and if they don’t have a bit of land to plant in they will create a plot to hang on a wall, …

Like a special hat over the doorway, these bright red geraniums decorate a building in Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex. Photo by me

…grace a pub in London,

Happy hour on a Friday afternoon made happier by the flowers over head. Photo by me

or swing from a doorway.

A flower basket at the front door. Photo by me

I think they get their inspiration from the rock walls nearby.  With all the rain, flowers grow anywhere. It really is special to see.

Flowers on the cliff walls. Photo by me

 

 

A morning walk through Mevagissey

23 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by pat in Cornwall, Travel

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Mevagissey

I love the small, quaint seaport Mevagissey.

My Beloved Brit and I went for an early morning walk through the Cornish village and made our way out to the seawall.  There is nothing quite like a stroll when it is still quiet, and all you really hear is the gulls above.

Mevagissey in the morning. Photo by me

A lone workman works on his boat on a quiet morning. Photo by me

looking back towards the village from the seawall. Photo by me

My Beloved Brits love for the sea is rekindled here. He used to camp with his family near here in his youth. Photo by me

It was a picture perfect day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seaside Drama in Charlestown

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by pat in Cornwall, Sailing, Travel, Uncategorized

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Charlestowne, Tall Ships

We love Charlestown in Cornwall on the southwest coast.  We have stayed here before when visiting My Beloved Brit’s cousins. We stay in a classic pub with rooms right near the sea, and it feels like home.

Our home away from home while in Cornwall. photo by me

We had a full day of visiting and eating with the family, and went back to the Inn late afternoon to refresh. Before they came back over for dinner that evening at the “Rash”, MBB and I decided to take a stroll down to the sea at the end of our lane.

Trying to come home to its harbor. photo by me

We noticed one of the tall ships that usually sits in the Charlestown Harbour making its way through the gap in the seawall.  It seems to be a very tight fit, so of course we, along with many other spectators, decide to watch the maneuver.

Squeezing through. photo by me

Stuck? photo by me

They seem to be having some problems turning it in the tight space. And it is windy which makes things more difficult.

The crowds on shore discuss the situation. photo by me

Even the pigeons came down to look things over. photo by me

 

From a different perspective you can see just how tight a squeeze it is. photo by me

And then, to the dismay of the crew on board, the ship hits the wall and a huge rope falls in to the water and gets caught in the propeller. A diver is called in to remedy the situation in the freezing waters.

A diver is sent in to untangle the rope. photo by me.

They need to get it in to the safe harbor before the tides flood out...

...and leave it high and dry. This is what it looks like when the tide goes out. photo by me

Free at last...

They finally get the rope off the propeller, and guide it safely through the lock and in to the slip.  Then they can flood that chamber and it is at rest, safe and secure. They said before modern power was added to propel it, this was all done by hand pulling from the shore. I can’t imagine.

...and safely home for the night. photo by me

Such excitement!  I asked one of the observers why they had taken the boat out.  It turned out they had to take it up the coast to update their license and get their safety inspection.  Ironic.

We all walked back up the hill to our Inn to get ready for a carvery Sunday roast dinner. In the room, I looked out the window towards the sea to make sure all was calm before going down to the pub for dinner.  Looking down to the beer garden, i saw two pirates sitting down for their afternoon tea with friends.

Just another day in Charlestown.

Even pirates need a tea break in the afternoon. Photo by me.

 

 

The Olympic Torch Begins Its Journey

20 Sunday May 2012

Posted by pat in Cornwall, England, Olympics, Travel, Uncategorized

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Olympic Torch

What a great first day in England, jetlag and all.

We had the usual awful red-eye flight, on a totally packed plane with no sleep at all.  I’ll never get used to those dreadful overnight flights to Europe.

After arriving at Heathrow totally bedraggled, we decided to spend our Saturday driving towards Cornwall where we needed to be by Sunday to meet up with family. With frequent breaks and even a catnap in the car at a rest stop, we hit the really pretty part of Dartmoor Forest in Devon and decided to start looking for an Inn to spend the night. Of course, we had no idea that the Olympic Torch had landed at Lands End to the west of us by helicopter from Greece that morning, and was making its way through the area on the very first day of its journey, and ours, on English soil.

The torch is beginning it's journey through England. Photo by me

After searching in vain all afternoon for any kind of accommodation on the moors or along the southwest coast, we finally made it to Bodmin in Cornwall and found a great little hotel right in town that MBB had discovered online.  Checking in, we mentioned our trials and tribulations of the day because of the torch’s progress.

A great little hotel in the town of Bodmin in Cornwall. photo by me.

The gentleman behind the desk said he understood, and added that the flame was arriving in front of this hotel at 6pm with great fanfare.  What luck!  A room and the torch, and a great early supper of curry in the dining room watching the street outside as people gathered for the festivities. You couldn’t ask for a sweeter first day, and we even got some true sunshine by evening.

Everyone rushes in to town to see the torch come by. photo by me.

The excitement kept building for an hour waiting for the athlete to come running down the main street. photo by me

Then the church bells started ringing all over town, the police car escort flashed down the hill, and the crowd cheered as the runner came. photo by me

The torch bearer came by in a flash, but the crowd was thrilled. It really was an event of a lifetime. photo by me.

My Beloved Brit of course took full credit for planning such a wonderful day, although I think there was a bit of luck involved. None-the-less, I love him for turning what could have been day of only frustration into a memorable adventure.

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