Mottisfont

 

Mottisfont is a National Trust estate near Romsey in Hampshire. My reference photos are from early March, when there were no leaves yet on the trees. 

Having painted them now (in April), I thought it would be nice to show the trees in blossom. This way, they make a nice contrast to the buildings in the background and generally stand out more from the other elements of the painting.

I have also moved the trees in the foreground closer together than they are in real life so they make a repeating pattern. In short, this painting is not a literal description of the place but how I feel about it.

Egyptian geese and Dover coast

 

A painting of Egyptian geese in dappled shade. I seem to come back to these scenes of light and shade.

The coastline of Dover, just beyond the harbour. 

When we visited in February, there were still hardly any cars crossing the channel, so the traffic was mostly lorries. This was also before the time P&O Ferries made their infamous move to sack 800 staff overnight, something I hope they won't get away with.

The reason we went to Dover was to see Dover Castle, which showcases history from the Middle Ages to the First World war, well worth a visit.