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Category Archives: Bath

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.

A Fondness for Trees

30 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by pat in Art, Bath, England, Gardens, paintings, sketching

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Bath Botanical Gardens

We take so much for granted in this beautiful world.  When I look back at my photos I realize some of my favorite images are of trees in their infinite variety, moods and glorious stretch of branches.

I recently revisited my photos of a trip I took to Bath, England several years ago.  It was November, and I wandered over to the Bath Botanical Gardens on the other side of town.

The trees were glorious and infinitely varied in size, color, and stages of changing foliage.

Coming over a hill, I spied this bench where an owner and her dog had found refuge on the path between the massive trees behind them and the small grove in front which had lost just the top layer of its leaves.

They just sat there forever, taking in the crisp fall afternoon and the beauty around them. At this stage I took the figures out to make them just a little more prominent in the scene

I’ve always had a fondness for trees.  They are worth our efforts to protect them for the future generations of strollers.

“A Fondness For Trees”, 14 x 11″, oil

Will the trees still be here tomorrow?

06 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by pat in Art, Bath, England, Gardens, paintings, sketching, Travel, Uncategorized

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Bath Botanical Gardens

I think about the destiny of the natural world for the next generations. With the climate change prognosis so uncertain, I worry that we will miss the window of opportunity to protect such diversity and beauty. I hope it is not slipping away.

My two young grandnieces are the future. They love the outdoors and see it all with that new sense of wonder so common in the young.

I had visited Bath, in the UK, a few years ago in November, when the leaves were falling and everything had a muted, mysterious end of season look to it.

Walking through the botanical gardens, I came across these birch trees, hanging on to their last leaves, framing a gorgeous color palette of greens, rusts and gold.  I had noticed a woman pushing a baby carriage earlier and decided to place her moving in to the distance of this scene.  My nieces, Lilly and Abby, became my models from a photo their mom had taken in a different setting.  I placed them in to this park, put fall jackets on them and had them enter this special space.

This was a difficult one to get the sense of shadowed uncertainty I wanted, but still keep it fresh and hopeful.  I hope I succeeded.

Note my last, final changes in the small details.  There is always a moment when I am not sure I am finished and spend time, often days, just looking, thinking, looking again at other artists work (Doig, Wyeth, Wiesenfeld, Celaya) and making those final decisions that mean it is finished.

I added a leaf over the girls’ head, and a falling leaf between them and the viewer, changed the tone of the green lawn, some subtle rays of sunshine and edited Abby’s hat to be smaller and less “matched” to her jacket.  I was finally finished telling the story.

“Will The Trees Still Be Here Tomorrow”, oil on linen, 40 x 30″

 

 

Hidden Away

15 Saturday Jul 2017

Posted by pat in Art, Bath, England, paintings, sketching, Travel

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Castle Combe, oil painting

My newest painting “Behind The Hedge” came about a few seasons after I visited a charming village near Bath, England, called Castle Comb. This often happens.  I will re-visit images from past travels.  Certain ones always seem to leap out again and again, and finally I find the time to paint them.

A special place stays amazingly fresh in my memory. This particular morning, after a stroll through the idyllic village, I walked past a hedge that was still changing color in early November.  The colors, the hidden cottage and the water rushing nearby all made for a very fairytale like scene. It was one of many hidden gems throughout the small historic village that seems to have escaped changing times.

It took me a few years, but I have re-visited the images of Castle Combe in the heat of a Washington DC summer, and can almost feel the cool, damp air and smell the fire smoke coming from chimneys.

I have been thinking more and more recently of re-visiting some of these English landscapes that I love.

They are so joyfully simple and beautiful. And the foliage and trees, especially for this late fall visit, offer an incredible palette of soothing color.

A magical escape.

“Behind the Hedge”, 14 x 11″, oil on linen

Back to Bath

05 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by pat in Bath, England, Travel, Uncategorized

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Pulteney Bridge

I love Bath.  It is lovely anytime of year.  Last time I was here it was late autumn and the leaves were golden.  This year, it is end of summer and there are flower baskets everywhere.

Bath on an early September day. Photo by me.

Bath on an early September day. Photo by me.

It is a spectacular city. Classic and modern, Roman and English, country and city.  The best of contradictions all in one very walkable location.

The Roman section of town. Photo by me

The Roman section of town. Photo by me

The main shopping promenade. Photo by me

The main shopping promenade. Photo by me

Flower baskets are everywhere. Photo by me

Flower baskets are everywhere. Photo by me

The Bath Abbey. Photo by me

The Bath Abbey. Photo by me

Around every corner there is another great scene. Photo by me

Around every corner there is another great scene. Photo by me

The lovely park in the center of Bath. Photo by me.

The lovely park, Parade Gardens, in the center of Bath. Photo by me.

Classic Bath. Photo by me

Classic Bath. Photo by me

We’re off to Wales, and the weather is supposed to change from sunny and 70s to cool, autumnal weather and rain.  Sounds like England to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

The Art of Bath

04 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Bath, paintings, Uncategorized

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Bath School of Art & Design, F.P. Hay, Fashioon Museum of Bath, Thomas W. Schaller

I spend so much of my time in the studio getting lost in my own work, that sometimes I just want to see what the rest of the world of art is doing.  I subscribe to lots of art magazines, and try to visit museums whenever I can.  This year, planning the workshop in Bath for September, I thought it might be interesting to see how other artists viewed this particular city.

The beautiful city of Bath. Photo by me.

The beautiful city of Bath. Photo by me.

When I was in the historic English city last autumn, I was entranced with the various galleries and studios.  Bath is a city of artists.  So I decided to visit the internet and see if I could find some other artistic interpretations of the city.

The New Bridge at Bathwick, Bath, England. 1830 engraving by FP Hay, hand watercoloured on print

The New Bridge at Bathwick, Bath, England. 1830 engraving by FP Hay, hand watercoloured on print

One of the most interesting places I came across was the Bath School of Art and Design. Located at the top of Sion Hill ion the outskirts of town, the school provides workshops and studios for many students.

From Bath School of Art and Design website, "Inside the Studio"

From Bath School of Art and Design website, “Inside the Studio”

In No. 4, The Circus, is the schools fashion center, which is very close to the incredible Fashion Museum. The school is an eclectic mix of new and old, “From age-old, artisan printing techniques to cutting edge 3D printing technology…” as their website states. Visiting artists have included Claus Oldenburg and Jim Dine. Fashion & Textiles, Ceramics, photography, graphic design…the list of BA and MA courses of study at the school is varied and interesting.  I hope I have a chance to visit next time I return.

I also came across an artist, Thomas W. Schaller, who does hauntingly beautiful watercolors.  This one of the Royal Crescent is just stunning.  He has emphasized the dramatic dominance of this stately architecture above the park. It really is a gorgeous piece, and seems to capture both the rich architectural history of the city, as well as the ever changeable weather of England.

Royal Crescent-Bath, England, Thomas W. Schaller

Royal Crescent-Bath, England, Thomas W. Schaller

Of course, architecture would have to be an important theme in Bath art.  Another example is Therese Lessore, who painted “Bath” in 1938-1943.  The painting is part of the National Museums Liverpool collection, and can be seen at Walker Art Gallery.

Bath, Therese Lessore, oil on canvas

Bath, Therese Lessore, oil on canvas

Shane Feeney is an artist based in Bath.  His style is colorful and dramatic, especially in his series on the Bath Abbey inspired by Monet’s Rouen Cathedral series..

Bath Abbey, Shane Feeney

Bath Abbey, Shane Feeney

The more I looked, the more I found interesting examples and interpretations of the city. It seems to inspire artists to work in many different styles. Just look at these two paintings.  The Holburne and the bridge are literally a short walk from each other, and yet artistically they are worlds apart. It makes me want to return and see for myself.

The Holburne Museum, Bath, Peter Bown

The Holburne Museum, Bath, Peter Brown

bath

Lesley Olver

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T.C.K. The Culture Gap

20 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by pat in Bath, England, London, Travel, Uncategorized

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culture, T.C.K.

“Third Culture Kids” is a term used to describe kids who have spent their development years outside their parents’ culture…often they have lived in several countries as they have grown up, and never quite feel part of any one culture. When asked “Where are you from?”, they often hesitate while they contemplate the answer.

Liverpool Street Station, London. Photo by me

Liverpool Street Station, London. Photo by me

Home is where the heart is—and these children often grow up traveling and living in many different places.  So their “roots” tend to be people, not places.

The train station in Bath, England. photo by me

The train station in Bath, England. photo by me

I can understand this.  I spent my formative years on Long Island and most of my “career” years as a graphic designer going between Washington DC and New York City in the United States. But as I matured, I traveled further and further away from my home shores.

The Chrysler Building, NYC.  Is this home? Photo by me.

The Chrysler Building, NYC. Is this home? Photo by me.

By the time I met My Beloved Brit, I felt comfortable with experiencing cultures in many foreign countries, so when we decided to move lock stock and barrel to the Caribbean (although still technically American–St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands) for 8 years, it was not nearly as scary as it might sound.

Home in the caribbean on distant shores. Photo by me

Home in the Caribbean, on the distant shores of St. John.

Now, although comfortable back in the US, we do experience wanderlust and never know where we might land in the future.

The Lake District, Grasmere, England.  Photo by me.

The Lake District, Grasmere, England. Photo by me.

Thank goodness for Facebook, Twitter and Skype.  We have friends and family as far away as Australia, Portugal and The Philippines, and I can’t imagine what our phone bill would be without these forms of cheap global communication.

Pont Alexandre Bridge, Paris. Photo by me

Pont Alexandre Bridge, Paris. Photo by me

The world is our home, and like the T.C.K. kids, our home is where our friends and families are, wherever that might be.

 

Jane Austen and Bath

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by pat in Bath, England, History, Travel

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Jane Austen, literature, Pride and Prejudice

Last week marked the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Two centuries later, it is still going strong.

Bath, England--home to Jane Austin two centuries ago. Photo by me

Bath, England–home to Jane Austin two centuries ago. Photo by me

Attached is an excellent story about Jane and Bath, England, and the celebration.

(And for information about our art workshop in Bath in September, click the word “workshop” at the top of this page.)

The Victoria Art Gallery

03 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Bath

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The Victoria Art Gallery

Right down from the Abbey, and across from the Pulteney Bridge…

The Pulteney Bridge in Bath, over the River Avon. Photo by me

…is the imposing Victoria Art Gallery.

The Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. Photo by me

It is a modest museum inside, but lovely, and always seems to have things posted everywhere about some art activity that is coming up in the very near future. It seems to be totally accepted that the community will be very much involved.

The Victoria. Photo by me

I love how in Bath everyone seems to be somehow engaged in art.  Whether a museum or gallery or on the streets.

The Pulteney Bridge in Bath. Photo by me.

It just seems to be important to the entire community.  Was this the early Roman influence and the magnificent architecture?

The Roman Baths in Bath. Photo by me.

If you live with such man-made beauty every day, do you just want more?

A Bath resident engaged in his art. Photo by me.

I know I did.

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