A great time was had by all at the Arundel Festival. Paintings, ceramics and sculpture were on display in the intriguing houses around this special little town. The home owners know full well that the majority of visitors are just as interested in their house as they are in the exhibits but that’s all part of the fun.
Painters of all styles were showing work. My particular favourites being Min Maude & Andy Waite who share a similar freedom in their application of the paint and nature in their themes.
I was based in the ”small but perfectly formed” St George’s Cottage, a 3 bedroom holiday home on School Lane. It proved to be a great location. The cottage looked wonderful and really set off the seaside theme to my work plus the aquatic colours. I stopped counting after 400 visitors and almost sold out of stock!
So, that brings me to life post-Arundel…. I’m embarking on a series of landscapes based on the scenery of North Yorkshire. Back in June I completed a 26 mile, 3 Peak walk with a group of friends. The scenery was incredible, the effort enormous and the whole event uplifting. We shared tears, smiles, laughter, lucozade and plasters in equal measure! I want my paintings to reflect the wildness of the scenery, the gruelling nature of the experience and the beauty of that landscape. I’m aiming for a very loose style, almost abstracted perhaps deferring to the style of Andy Waite mentioned above.
I’m also looking forward to getting back to my life drawing classes and to a couple of courses that I have booked with Emily Ball at the Seawhite studios in Partridge Green. I’ll let you know how they go and what I learn from them.
