A visit to Lewes

Tréguier

Yesterday afternoon (Saturday), Margaret and I went across to the nearby town of Lewes to join in the displays for M.E. Awareness Week. M.E. Is a dreadfully debilitating and much misunderstood medical condition affecting at least a quarter of a million people in Britain, yet something which is little understood by doctors and which has attracted little research funding. Margaret has suffered from it for 28 years now - an amazing length of time to be contantly feeling below par and with chronic pain.


There was a good if small group of people on the bridge over the River Ouse and the whole area was thronged with shoppers and other people enjoying a sunny afternoon in the town. The Green Party were also in the area handing out leaflets and I was glad to see that their leader, Caroline Lucas was there. She came over and chatted ot the M. E. People for a while which was nice.

Caroline Lucas beneath the yellow sign.  Margaret to the left looking at the camera

Afterwards, Margaret and I went for a coffee and then came home, she feeling much depleted by the afternoon's activities and in considerable pain. Despite this I am glad that she was able to go and she did actually have the opportunity to speak to Caroline Lucas.

In the evening I completed a painting of the first car I'd ever owned, back in 1968. I sold a Lambretta motor-scooter in order to buy it. It turned out to be a "rust-bucket" with many holes stuffed with newspaper and patched over with filler. I soon changed if for a Mini which while having problems of its own was an improvement.

Here is the painting of the A40.

Last week I also did two morepaintings - one of Montrésor, small town in the Loire Valley and another (at the top of this post) of a beautiful little building in Tréguier in Brittany. I love painting scenes from France as while I am doing them I am taken back in my mind I to happy times driving through that lovely country.

Tréguier

Christmas 2018

Another year has flown by and I am pleased to see that I have continued to paint and sketch throughout the year.  Painting small pictures and sketches with no pressure to produce "finished" works ready for framing, is a very enjoyable pastime.  I am always planning my next sketch and whenever I go out I am on the lookout for new views or buildings.

Here are three recent painting, the first is Combrit in Brittany.

I enjoyed painting this little Cotswold shop - I've done it before but this one is very different to my first attempt.

Finally this wonderful doorway is at the Parish Church in Kilpeck, Hertfordshire.

Revisiting Brittany

Brittany in North-west France is a painter's paradise.  Beautiful little coves and sandy bays, with pretty villages, ancient churches and archaeological ruins aboud.  I have been there four times and each time I take hundreds of photographs to bring home for painting inspiration.

The lighthouse as Ploumanac'h (yes it really is spelt like that) has a very dramatic setting.  It lies on the "Pink Granite Coast" near the larger town of Perros Guirec and sits on a headland covered in huge boulders, moulded by countless centuries of erosion.

Lighthouse at Ploumanac'h

I managed to get the pinkish colour of the rocks using Daniel Smith paint "Terra Rosa" which is a lovely earth red which I've never found a use for before.

Last week I took on a challenge from Leisure Painter magazine to paint a Mediterranean courtyard for which a photograph was provided.  I liked the challenge of perspective which it provided.  Here is my attempt at it.

Leisure Painter challenge