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From Here to the Loire
Seven Sisters from Birling Gap (2016) Oil on Canvas
Viewed from sea worn pebbles on a cold winter’s day; my hands almost froze!
The From Here to the Loire exhibition was held on the 2nd to 3rd April 2016. The exhibition included paintings of Sussex in England and the Loire Valley in France and some places between the two. Hence, the title of the exhibition.
The following is from the Introduction to the exhibition that I wrote:
"We were in the Loire in 2011 and again in 2015; mid to late summer. Forget the famous chateau; I responded to the open fields, golden with ripening seed heads and the freshly baled hay. Fields of sunflowers: the supreme symbol of agrarian abundance and the high point of summer’s harvest.
By contrast, we have recently moved to and are exploring Sussex with its lush, green vegetation by the River Ouse, spectacular white cliffs and quaint, comforting villages with church spires and tidy lawns for cricket."
Sussex Hills (2016) Oil on Canvas
Softly formed curves of hills near Birling Gap. Lines of hedges and paths divide space and intersect spatial forms.
Loire River Valley IV (2016) Oil on Canvas
Photographs above: The Loire Valley
Painting Below:
A view over fields with rustic barns.
Loire River Valley III (2016) Oil on Canvas
Sketching at Jumieges
Painting at Michele Spencer's House, Maison Clergeau, in Pontlevoy, Loire et Cher, France
See http://maisonclergeau.com/
Field of Sunflowers (2016) Oil on Canvas
I have always wanted to paint this subject but I have always been flashing past in a car. This time we stopped. It was near midday and my crayons started to melt in my hands. It was a rather spooky sight with all the sunflower heads facing you like a field of Triffids; yet majestic too and suggestive of great abundance.
Hay Bales (2016) Oil on Canvas
Exhibition Summary
The exhibition took place in our house in Brighton. It was a very pleasant sunny weekend full of chat, laughter, wine and food. More than 60 people came on the Saturday and eight people came on the Sunday. Some people traveled internationally for it and some quite long distances in this country. Eight of the fifteen pictures sold and they went to France, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, London and Brighton.
Above: Some guests at the exhibition