• About
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosure

accentBritain

~ a romance with art and all things British

accentBritain

Tag Archives: Bath Botanical Gardens

A Fondness for Trees

30 Tuesday Apr 2019

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

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

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″

 

 

The Botanical Gardens of Bath

22 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by pat in Bath, England, Gardens, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bath Botanical Gardens, Queen's Square, Royal Crescent, Royal Victoria Park

I thought you all deserved a leisurely stroll through a gorgeous autumnal setting in honor of that very American celebration, Thanksgiving. So take a break from cooking that turkey, grab a cup of tea, and come along.

Tucked off to the western edge of Bath, past The Royal Crescent , are the Botanical Gardens of Bath. And what better time to visit as the season changes from autumn to winter.

The Botanical Gardens of Bath. Photo by me

Getting there is half the joy. I headed off around Queen’s Square, through the gates to Royal Victoria Park, you came to the very edge of the historic downtown…

Queen's Square, the last bit of city before the park begins. Photo by me

Queen’s Square, the last bit of city before the park begins. Photo by me

Cutting across the park just south of the Royal Crescent. Photo by me

…and the beginning of a gorgeous expanse of greens and groves of trees.

The Botanical Gardens are in the distance, through groves of trees. Photo by me

I walked through what seemed liked pristine English countryside, and finally got to the entrance of the gardens.

Photo by me

Photo by me

Photo by me

The Botanical Gardens, set inside Royal Victoria Park, were designed in 1887 and within their 9 acres of rambling walks is an incredible collection of plants on limestone.

Across from the entrance to the gardens is “The Great Dell”. Photo by me

In classic English style the winding paths revealed quiet coves and gentle gardens each with their seemingly random nature, but actually beautifully planned.

Photo by me

It was well worth the walk.

Winter is finally approaching Bath. Photo by me

A last burst signaling the end of autumn. Photo by me

A place to rest before the walk back to city centre. Photo by me

The path back to town. Photo by me

Back to Bath Center, and lunch before my train leaves for London.

 

 

♣ Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 27 other subscribers

♣ Archives

  • September 2022
  • May 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • August 2021
  • May 2021
  • January 2021
  • September 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • July 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • March 2018
  • January 2018
  • July 2017
  • April 2017
  • February 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011

♣ Recent Posts

  • Autumn Stroll on the C&O Canal
  • A Winter’s Project
  • A Walk In The Park
  • An Adirondack Pond
  • Golden

♣ Categories

  • Art
  • Art Museums & Exhibitions
  • Bath
  • Books
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Burnham-on-Crouch
  • cars
  • Cornwall
  • Cornwall
  • England
  • entertainment
  • Fashion
  • Food
  • Gardens
  • Grasmere
  • Guana Island
  • History
  • Lake District
  • Lake District
  • London
  • movies
  • Music
  • National Trust
  • Olympics
  • paintings
  • Peak District
  • Sailing
  • Scotland
  • Shopping
  • sketching
  • The New Forest
  • The Royal Family
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • United Kingdom

♣ my button

accentbritain.com
<a href="http://accentbritain.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://accentbritain.com/accentBritainbutton.jpeg" alt="accentBritain.com" width="125" height="125" /></a>
Copyright 2011 accentBritain LLC. All rights reserved. All original photos, text and art is copyright protected.

Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Chateau by Ignacio Ricci.

 

Loading Comments...