Again the AiPS members were back at the Menier Gallery for the 6th consecutive year. It was our annual exhibition where we came together to showcase our work. I was very pleased to be a part of this very exciting and diverse exhibition. Andrew Cooper Chairman of the Society made the opening speech and introduced this year’s Judge Artist Tom Cox who presented the awards. Artists in Public Service
Some of the photographs taken on the evening
Inspired by the lovely autumn colours, the natural environment, seasons and the beautiful countryside of Leicestershire.
A new series “A line of Trees” View looking over the landscape at sunset.
Watercolour I made inspired by a walk along a pathway leading into a forest and woodland around Charnwood, National Forest, Leicestershire.
I was looking through some old sketch books and came across these two watercolours from 2014. The watercolours were painted en plein air on Bryher which is one of the Isles of Scilly. The painting on the left in my sketchbook was painted from the beach on Green Bay Bryher, looking across to the Island of Tresco. The other watercolour left side is a view of Tresco from Green Bay a little further along the coastal shoreline. It was a lovely time spent on Bryher, almost a month that year which gave me the opportunity to paint many of the beautiful areas on Bryher, Tresco and Samson.
The watercolour below of a landscape in Les Aspres Normandy has been accepted in the Open Exhibition 2018 at the Sock Gallery, Loughborough Town Hall, Market Place, Loughborough LE11 3EB
Exhibition dates : 4 August- 8 September 2018
01509 634912
I am delighted to have three of my watercolours accepted in the Open Summer Exhibition at the Cank Street Gallery 6 June- 4 August 2018.
Please see the link below for more details, you can view the catalogue on line.
I always enjoy my visits to Les Aspres a small village in Normandy where family live. There is a view at the bottom of the garden that is so beautiful, the fields roll on for miles and the landscape is breathtaking. Especially when there is dramatic light after a storm which dances over the fields and trees making the colours in the landscape come alive. We seem to have experienced plenty of storms, rain, mist and fog during end of March and beginning of April; making the ground very waterlogged but also creating good subjects for atmospheric paintings!
The watercolour below is the view of landscape at the bottom of the garden.
“Is it the silence of the wilderness that so enchants me?” Asksei Gallen-Kallela (1886).
Last year in November, I went to see an exhibition at the National Gallery London. The exhibition was called “A Vision of Finland” the artist was Finnish Asksei Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931) and a plein air painter. I was impressed and inspired by his work, particularly Lake Keitele (1905) also, Clouds above Lake.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Sweden and Finnish Lapland in the Arctic Circle. It was a very exciting and inspiring journey which enabled me to see the vast expanses of wilderness of the Arctic Tundra.The location where I stayed was in Karesuando, Norrbotten, Sweden, near to the Muorio river and border between Sweden and Finland. This was excellent for exploring the northernmost part of Sweden and traversing across into Finland.
When the night came it was time to venture into the forests, to be amazed by the Aurora Borealis magical displays across the sky. There is silence in the wilderness, beauty in the forests and landscapes of this icy tundra. All of this inspired me to paint a series of watercolours relating to my experiences in the wilderness of the Arctic Circle, which will probably be ongoing!
Walk in the Forest Finnish LaplandFebruary has come around again, giving me hopeful expectations, optimism and promise of spring. Walking around the village today was a delight with many plants typifying where we have reached in the year. Daffodils, crocuses, winter flowering cyclamen and primroses are so delightful to experience. The plant that always inspires me most of all are snowdrops; walking through Church view meadow Quorn, I saw a beautiful display of them nodding their heads in the wind. I made some sketches trying to capture them en masse, which resulted in the watercolour below.
It was really great today to go walking into the countryside around where I live, discovering different places where I had never been before. The sun came out which reflected the beautiful seasonal colours in the waterlogged fields and in the landscape. It was magical, although the ground was very marshy and a challenge to walk on, I managed to paint some watercolours two of which are below.
On my way home after a very muddy walk, I turned a corner to see the sunset which was an amazing display of colours. I would like to share this photograph with you and wish you all, “A HAPPY NEW YEAR ”
