At first, I was slightly disappointed that we’d arrived in Uley right at the end of Autumn.
It was stunningly beautiful, but it was a transitory beauty that was already changing quickly into winter. The golden leaves were falling and the trees were a little more bare every day.
It made me sad because we were busy unpacking and although it was inspiring, I knew I wouldn’t get out to paint it until it was mostly gone.
So the walks I’ve been taking in the countryside around the house, pretty much following my feet, have been flavoured with poignancy.
To the manor borne
But no less amazing for that. A couple of weeks ago I was following my feet and came across Owlpen Manor. Privately owned, this amazing place now has holiday cottages in its grounds.
You can’t get very close to it. I can’t think how, since I was following an Ordinance Survey map with the public footpaths clearly marked, but somehow I strayed onto the grounds (ahem) and took a few pictures. Look at this:
Now that makes me want to get my brushes out.
This, the gatehouse, I have in mind to start with since I took this shot from the public lane at the front of the manor grounds. And because it’s beautiful:
I stumbled on the manor after walking through some really lovely countryside – the woods and fields that surround Uley – that I hope to be painting soon.
Owlpen manor has an amazing history. Poets have written of it. It has been an inspiration for the Arts and Crafts movement, and the owners, the Mander family, have an illustrious history of patronising the arts.
The holiday cottages are really quite something. You know what I think? This would be a wonderful place to host a painting holiday.
Some plein air, maybe some sessions on colour and composition, and lovely dinners in the Cyder House restaurant. Sounds pretty nice to me.
What I don’t know yet is whether enough people would be interested in coming to make it viable.
And I don’t know if it will be possible yet, but if you like the sound of a painting holiday in the Cotswolds next summer or autumn, staying at Owlpen Manor for a few days, stick your email address in this form and I’ll keep you updated on progress. I plan to talk to the owners about the viability of painting holidays there soon.
Are you kidding? Of course I want to hear about a painting holiday in Owlpen Manor!
Snowed in!
Just when I thought this place couldn’t be any more beautiful, it snowed.
It was like a fairy tale.
“Snow!” I said when I opened the bedroom curtains. “Snow?” shouted our eldest, jumping out of bed and rushing into our bedroom.
Very soon, the boys and I were out in the garden flinging snowballs at each other and building our first snowman in Uley. According to Jasper, he’s called Dave. Dave the snowman.
I managed to get out and take some photos in the morning, but later in the day when the skies cleared and it was obviously going to freeze over, I had to get out to the shops and indulge in some panic buying before the roads became too dangerous.
Our house in the snow.
Uley high street > thinking about throwing another snowball at me probably.
Uley village church. There’s a painting here I think…
Erm, I think I took this because it gave me an idea for a painting.
So here we are, holed up for the next couple of days, more than likely. No school. Thankfully, Internet is unaffected and blissfully fast!
And there’s plenty of time for drawing.
No paintings yet?
I’m afraid not! I do have one in progress on the easel.
But so far, there seems to have been too much for me to do to get out with my brushes and try some plein air. And this latest beautiful face of the south Cotswolds will probably be gone in a day or two.
I doubt I’m practised enough at plein air painting to get much more than some ugly smears done anyway, but still I’m hoping to try.
I’ve just ordered a very posh plein air easel on Julian’s recommendation and can’t wait for it to arrive!
More on that soon.
Best wishes,
Paul
Makes me miss England, but we’ve enough of the white stuff here in Canada!
Beautiful photos of a lovely area. It looks cold enough for only the bravest en-pleine aire painters.
Loving your enthusiasm! And that first moment when you look out to see if it has snowed in the night…and it has! And the joy of the list of school closures ……Im also moving outside towards landscape painting for next years focus so im interested to hear if you are planning anything and if you are progressing in that direction too 🙂
I am going to tey to send you a photo of what we are experiencing right this minute! There is 10″ of the white stuff on the porch railing and I still can’t see across the golf course!!
Darn, this little box won’t accept photos. No one is going anywhere today, or at least not too far. Had company coming for dinner tonight. They can’t get out!!! Another mainly typical northern Ontario winter wonderland. LOVE IT!!!!
Also from Canada (Vancouver-no snow yet!). Thanks for this post. I’ve walked the Cotswolds Way, and have visited the area a number of times. I would love to return to paint. My spouse is a Brit so we return annually., but for planning I would need lots of advance notice. Might seek out this location in any case.
This sounds like a fairytale dream to me! I’ve notified my daughter Melinda Carrera (who works and studies with Sadie Valeri in San Francisco) about this. It would be a dream come true for me if my daughter and I could both go on a Cotswolds painting holiday next year! We might even let our husbands come along for the trip!
Thank you for the beautiful photos. It gave me such a personal view
of your world. Your child is delightful; his hair looks like my grandson’s.
Your idea of a painting holiday could definitely fly.
I can see why you are happy with your new location. Take good care of your health.
Thanks again.
Hi Paul
I’ve signed up for further information about the possible plein air sessions. In the end (as a starving, jobbing artist!) it will all ultimately come down to cost. I’m already involved in organising a couple of plein air competitions/events in 2018 and often take my own students out in the summer. So – autumn would probably suit me better. It occurs to me that you’re pretty close to Horsley/Nailsea? We usually manage to come down for a day in the autumn (end of October/early November) to visit Kit Williams’ annual open studio. I think that’s pretty close by where you are. “Two birds with one stone” comes to mind!! Best wishes for settling in. Malcolm
We live in the Catskills of NY and I find the landscape always has something beautiful to offer year round. I imagine Uley does too. Lovely pics. Thanks so much for sharing so much of yourself so openly. It continues to be an imspiration to me. I’d love to come paint with you but am too chicken as I have so much to learn and practice to feel comfortable.
Awesome!
Did you feel a stillness in the air when you awoke on the snowy morn? It’s as if a fluffy white blanket covers the land and exudes a peacefulness that sound dare not disturb. Next time you may sense a snowfall before even looking. I would love to join your fabulous plein air idea but have never painted outside before! You would have to prepare us.
Thank you Paul for the lovely photos. I love the idea of the plein air but unfortunately the cost of getting to England would be too great for me. It looks absolutely stunning in your area and so different to what I am looking at out my window, a drooping garden and heat haze. It is 40 degrees here today (104 Fahrenheit) and we are just entering bushfire season. I really love Australia but the summers are endless.
Sounds fantastic! How pretty it is there, and an area I certainly would love to explore and workshopping would be icing on the cake.
WOW so beautiful, would love to have snow, it’s summertime here in a very drought stricken Cape Town, South Africa- but today we have what we call a real Cape misty drizzle, we desperately need every drop of rain. Enjoy the lovely snow and beautiful painting scapes.
Hi Paul, I recently read this about painting from photographs in an interview here:
https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/book_report/chuck-close-in-conversation-with-vija-celmins-about-her-dense-yet-infinite-drawings-54732
“Why do you put this artificial layer between you and what you’re looking at?
The photo is an alternative subject, another layer that creates distance. And distance creates an opportunity to view the work more slowly and to explore your relationship to it. “. Maybe this would be good for your autumn/winter painting….Rebecca
Paul, you are incredible. How simply and so beautifully you have portrayed your new life. Places and scenes I have seen in movies or read about in books. It really is a dream place. Pics are worth painting too. Wish i could make it to the “en plein” holiday.
I’d like to recommend an easel that an artist Joshua Beene sells. Just google him. I paint plein air all the time and have tried four or five different easels and honestly this is the lightest and strongest and is designed to travel easily.
Laura
I bought the Day Tripper Easel at Joshua Been’s gallery in Salida, CO. Love it. So compact and obviously designed by an artist. I need to replace the “shoe” that connects to the mast, but that is a problem with the tripod, not the easel set up. You and your family should visit the area some time, so beautiful and so much for families to enjoy.
Like you, Joshua is a very generous artist.
Paul, you’ve chosen a beautiful part of the world to live in. How lovely to have so much inspiration around you. Please add me to your ‘interested in a painting holiday’ email list. Wishing you joy, peace and good health and lots of inspiration in 2018.
Diana
NIce choice of easel, you’ll have to give a review once the Summer painting season is over. I have the great temptation for a similar easel from Strada that goes on a camera tripod — which I have LOTS of for some peculiar reasons. The Strada can be used for watercolor as well as oils. I don’t see a reason for a pochade box or the larger French/Russian easels as I always have a daypack or art-bag for paints, pads and supplies. …And I seldom stray far from the car anyway.
Don’t have to wait for the end of summer, I can tell you already that the easel is fantastic. I have it on a Velbon 655 tripod, also on Julian’s recommendation and it works a treat. Lots of palette space, the panel can be any size and is independent of the panel, and can be adjusted ad infinitum. The tripod is a little on the heavy side but is very versatile. Get one! 🙂