I’m working on an entry for a local watercolour competition which requires submissions based on the Dorking Deepdene trail.  http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/deepdene/index.cfm

Mole Valley has been working hard to make this new trail a success and has organised a painting competition. I’ve walked round the trail a couple of times with Molly and taken photos of the more paintable scenes. The views are great but making suitable pictures from them has proven to be really tricky.

The inspiration behind the competition is from an artist William Bartlett who painted the estate in 1825. The views back then were more open and dramatic. The trees have grown more dense now and this restricts the views to more distant hills.

Within the grounds there are a restored grotto, a folly and a mausoleum plus the remains of a temple and other garden features but the main house was demolished 1967.

I’ve selected the ‘Embattled Tower’ as it provides an interesting subject and plays to my strengths. (Unfortunately this photo makes the the balustrade look off center but its upright on the original.)

 

Chris Forsey entertained us at the Art Club last week. He showed us how he would paint a night time scene using mixed media (acrylics, inks and oil pastels). He is very engaging and a very talented local artist, who is always looking to add extra life to his work.

This week we spent the session trying to work on a painting using his techniques. I chose a scene from our Vietnam trip, Hoi An, a very picturesque town famous for its lantern festival and tailors. I’ve not used mixed media before but the effect is very striking.