I have been back to Norfolk again, Yes, i’m on the road again! A self-contained cottage and some new brushes,
A while ago, before covid appeared, I was invited to participate in Paint out Norfolk 2020. Then everything was put on hold during lockdown when one by one, all my plans were cancelled, and lockdown took over! So it was a delight to hear that paint out Norfolk had been re-designed in a covid safe way. Now I and the other participating Artists, almost 50 of us, could go out painting again, and exhibit in a socially distanced way.
Our base for the week was a marquee at Whitlingham country park, where each days works were exhibited and offered for sale to the public. We were producing over fifty fresh works per day at suggested venues, all over Norfolk. What an exciting week!
I began with some oil paintings of the riverside, In the country park. With ducks, swans, and a canoe and rowing club, providing plenty of colourful activity. The following day was spent at Winterton beach and its wonderful sand dunes, here is an example.
After the beach, I followed the coast up past Mundesley, looking for quieter places to paint and found this gem, of a receding cliffside, and called it coastal erosion. In the afternoon I moved on to Hickling Broad, an old favourite of mine. Here I decided to stop off and paint this charming old
boathouse, with its own accommodation above. I named this ‘up the creek with a paddle’. Having painted here before, I knew it offered plenty of subjects, as well as boating people to chat with as I worked.
This view will be familiar to many art lovers, it is St Benet’s Abbey ruins near Ludham. Painted by many notable artists, including John Crome and Edward Seago, from his boat / studio on the nearby river. The sky was wonderful, and added drama to my painting, as did the dog walker, who appeared as I was packing up.
Other places I visited and painted included Loddon meadows and Barton Turf, where I found a cornish ‘crabber’. A traditional timber sailing boat. I also visited Blakeney Quay on the north coast. Norfolk has so much to offer plein air artists. All these and more, are in my website gallery, click on any photo to be taken there!
Above is a dip pen Indian Ink and watercolour drawing of some old ruins in the country park.
And here is the link to the online gallery, of many works created by all the participants at Paint Out Norfolk 2020
I’ll leave you with a time-lapse video demo of the afternoon sun in our lounge, painted during the lockdown, Enjoy and subscribe, to see more of these.