Paintings From A Summer Garden
This is the story behind my most recent collection of colourful garden oil paintings!
Last summer I was invited to spend several glorious days drawing in the prairie garden at Redhill Lodge in Rutland. The garden is created and owned by Sue Moffitt, a professional garden designer at M360 Design.
One of my favourite areas is the prairie garden with it’s wonderful mix of hardy perennials such as Veronicastra, Persicaria, Oat Grass and Verbena which come into their own in late summer.
Each area contrasts with and compliments its neighbour, creating a celebration of colour and pattern.
“Redhill Lodge, Magenta Budleia” 60cm x 84cm Original pastel on paper. Work in progress!
I made several colour pastel drawings in the prairie gardens using Senelier chalks to capture the exciting, immersive feeling of being completely surrounded by a thriving diversity of plants and huge masses of texture and colour!
In the distance the sculpture I created for the garden can just be seen rising above the plants. More information about that HERE!
From these drawings I then developed a series of oil paintings to recreate the garden through the use of coloured layers and brush marks to create woven tapestry of texture and pattern. My painting style is influenced by British artists I admire such as Lucy Jones, David Hockney and Gillian Ayres to name just a few.
I hope you enjoy a taste of garden magic!
My mini solo exhibition at Stamford Arts Centre, PE9 4TF
A selection from this collection can be seen in my mini solo exhibition “Paintings From A Summer Garden” at Stamford Arts Centre foyer 27 St Mary’s St Stamford, Lincs, PE9 2DL until mid July 2022. Open Daily.
These works can also be viewed on my website HERE or by appointment.
Other pieces in this collection including the six 30cm x 30cm oil paintings on board seen above are currently being shown with Contemporary & Country in “Avant Gardeners” at Houghton Hall Stables, Norfolk. PE31 6TY (This runs alongside exhibitions by John Virtue and Ernst Gamperl). Open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays until 25th September. Please find booking information on Houghton Hall website HERE!
