ARTSITECAROLYN PAINTING BLOG TRIPS BY CAROLYN LAMB - ARTSITECAROLYN

Dunfallandy, Pitlochry, Perthshire

11/30/2023

Dunfallandy Pictish Cross slab . Micron Pen. 4x6". C.Lamb. Nov 12th 2023. The stone dates from the 9th C A.D. and is in the cemetary/ private burial ground of the Fergussons of Dunfallandy.

Dunfallandy House, Pitlochry , Perthshire was this years Girls Weekend venue. THe house is about mile outside Pitlochry.

I always try to paint a picture at whatever house we rent . Ideally out of a window in the main house where it is warm. But there isn't always a view that appeals artistically to me. On the way to view the Dunfallandy Pictish Stone (Historic Environment Scotland), the shortcut passed through the dilapidated buildings of Dunfallandy Home Farm with lots of lovely autumn colours from the falllen leaves. As I can't resist a falling down shed, I swapped indoor warmth to paint the farm outside. Only 6.C, so lots of layers of clothes needed and feet like blocks of ice at the end.

Autumn Leaf fall at Dunfallandy Home Farm, Pitlochry. C. Lamb. Oil. 10x12". Nov 11th and 12th 2023.

Autumn Trees at Ashton Court

11/30/2023

Autumn Path at Ashton Court Estate. C. Lamb. Oil. 8x8* . 31st October 2023.

Birnbeck Pier, Clevedon Pier, Battery Point

9/16/2023

Birnbeck Pier . C.Lamb. 13 Sept 2023. Oil 8x8".

.Finally got round to painting the falling down Grade II listed Victorian Pier at Weston-Super -Mare, designed by legendary pier builder Eugenius Birch and opened in 1867. It joins the mainland to Birkbeck Island. Closed to the public in 1994 due to safety concerns, after years of attempts to get it repaired and restored it has been purchased by North Somerset Council from developers on Thursday 13 July 2023 and restoration work is planned to take place over several years with funding from the council, the National Lottery the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Historic England. It is so attractive to artists like me in its dilapidated state, so I hope the restoration will not end like the Weston Grand Pier that burned down in 2008 and is rebuilt in a modern style, and more like the attractive restoration of Clevedon Pier. Piers and light houses along the North Smerset coast have been subjects this year

Clevedon Pier. C.Lamb. Oil , 16th May 2023. 8x8"

Battery Point, Portishead, C.Lamb. Oil. 6th July 2023. 8x8"

Triumph HErald

9/5/2023

Triumph at the Gateway, Rock House, Elberton. C. Lamb Oil. 8x8". Painting with Clifton Arts on Saturday. I am usually attracted to paint falling down barns and trees but when Ian turned up with his lovely old Triumph Herald i had to give it the front stage.

9 TRIPS TO Holt Farm

8/30/2023

POND PATH watercolour 29th June 23: RHEUM STALKS, oil 8x8", 28th June and 7th July , and ROUND FOUNTAIN, oil, 8X8" 10th July 23.

Painting at Holt Farm , the Yeo Valley Organic Garden again this year.
Last year I did 11 oils there. This year I have only done 6 oils and 1 watercolour so far as our variable weather affects my work outdoors. The watercolour was done from under the shelter of a garden gazebo as it was raining, and the round pool was done out of the doorway of the greenhouse as it was raining, while the Ornamental rhubarb was done under the shelter of a brolly as it was baking hot.

Yeo VAlley Organic garden Oils

7/22/2023

Oak with rope swing. C.Lamb. Oil. 5th and 12th May 2023. 8x10".

Wisteria with distant view of St Andrews Church, Blagdon. C.Lamb. oil. 19th May 2023. 8x8". This is the 35th oil I have painted in these gardens.

As an outdoor landscape artist who always paints on the spot, my painting year starts with better weather. This often coincides with the opening of the Yeo Valley Organic Gardens at Holt Farm, Blagdon. This ever changing garden has provided inspiration for 39 oil paintings since 2014 . I first visited it with Clifton Arts Club and we come very year, but I found you can get a season ticket or free entry as part of the R.H.S. Partner Garden scheme, so I come more frequently.

BS9 ARt trail 2023 , Stoke Lodge, Bristol.

7/8/2023

The final result. Here is most of my display on the BS9 Art trail at Stoke Lodge

BS9 ARt trail 2023 and 2022 oils.

6/10/2023

These are all the oil paintings I did in 2022 and I have to select some for the BS9 art trail.

.I will be one of 10 artists exhibiting at Stoke Lodge, Shirehampton Road , Bristol which is Venue 3 on the BS9 Art trail 2023. i can't frame all 39 so will select about 15 to frame up in white wood frames from pictureframeexpress.

A few more Cheddar sketches

4/17/2023

Birch Hill from Gorge View Cottage in the daylight. C.Lamb. watercolour.

Preliminary sketch for the oil painting.

Birch Hill from Gorge View cottage in the dark. Pastel pencil

Cosy log burner inside the cottage. Pastel pencil.

Interesting ancient yew tree in St Andrew's Churchyard, Cheddar. Done in the drizzle. Pitt pen.

Cedar tree. My very last sketch of the trip done in the car in the pouring rain. Micron pen.

CHEDDAR FROM BIRCH HILL

4/16/2023

Cheddar from Birch Hill. C.Lamb. March 2023. 16" x 12". Oil. This was the main view I wanted to paint - the view across the village roofs towards the entrance to the Gorge. I worked on it over 5 days.

My oil paints

My Painting studio

Preliminary sketch

Cheddar GOrge Artists retreat

4/11/2023

Blossom on Horseshoe bend, Cheddar Gorge. C.Lamb. oil 25th March 2023. 8"x8"

The art total from my Artist's Retreat week at Cheddar is 1 8x8" oil, 1 16x12" oil , 9 mini sketches at 4"x6", 3 in my Roberson 5 x7 sketchbook and 2 in my old Reeves pastel book.

First day of my stay I was joined by Stuart and Anne and we went painting at Horseshoe bend. Although overcast and windy iit didn't rain. These are our normal sizes for painting. My favourite size and shape is always the smallest. I am painting downhill and they are doing the view uphill.

Sunday morning at Cheddar Car Boot Sale

Cheddar Car boot.

Jacobs Goat

Goats and Soay sheep and lambs at Lion Rock hillside, Cheddar Gorge.

Soay sheep and lamb at Lion Rock. Micron pen on Fabriano artistico paper. 26th Mar 23.

Very quick sketch on Culfic Lane. This will make a good painting someday but not this time.

Artist Retreat at Cheddar

3/23/2023

Cheddar Gorge is my favourite spot and I plan to eventually paint every vista. I have painted about 15 oils here so far . Winter is miserable, and I tend not to paint much so I booked myself in to Gorge View Cottage for a week of Artist endeavour to get my new art season going. Sometimes at this time of year there are a couple of nice days for plein air painting but this weeks forecast is unsettled rain showers so there may be much painting from inside the car. I did a week here in March 2017 and hope to produce as much work as I did then

Blackthorn Blossom, Cheddar Gorge. C.Lamb. Oil on board. March 2022. I only painted one picture here last year in Spring before the masses of tourists arrived.

2023 Portrait drawing with Clifton Arts

2/12/2023

Yuita. Watercolour and pencil. Feb 4 2023. 1hr.

Scarlett. Jan 7th 2023. Pastel pencils on pastel paper

Dried Flower Pot Store

12/15/2022

Pot and Dried Flower store, Holt Farm. C. Lamb. 2022. watercolour and pencil.

Grantown-On-Spey, Cairngorms, Scotland

11/22/2022

Preparatory sketches to get to know the landscape before starting the oil painting from my bedroom window.

This years Fintray Girl's Weekend was at Inverallan House, Grantown-on-Spey, in the Cairngorm National Park, Scotland. I always try to paint a picture during our visit. This was our fabulous view up the River Spey towards Aviemore and the northern part of the Cairngorms. A problem with landscapes and distant hills is that they are often obscured by ever changing clouds, light directions and weather. It can take several hours of unclear shapes before their correct profile can be seen, but is needed before I could start my oil painting. So I started by sketching in Faber-Castell Pitt pen then moved on to oil on canvas board once I was confident in the vista.

Autumn on the River Spey. Carolyn Lamb. 12-13th Nov 2022. Oil. 8"x8". Looking south west along the River Spey towards Aviemore and as yet to be identified mountains in the northern Cairngorms.

Such a lovely view from my bedroom