Pretty as a Picture

For centuries, painters have been drawn to the Cotswolds' rolling green hills, ancient orchards, valley vistas, winding lanes and golden limestone — John Singer Sargent, Francis Davis Millet and LS Lowry, amongst them. Tracy Spiers asked five of today's artists to share a favourite spot they can't resist putting into a frame.

Rupert Aker Painswick from Bull's Cross www.rupertaker.art 

The views to Painswick are my favourite to paint: the church spire sitting on its promontory creates a focal point from all directions, with the village tumbling down the steep slope into the valley below. My favourite spot is probably from Bull's Cross, above Slad, where you get lovely sunsets backlighting the view. In Cider with Rosie, Laurie Lee writes: 'Painswick appears — a starfish of light dilating in a pool of distance'. It's this effect I try to recreate. 

I bring my work to life with oil paints and a palette knife, applying the paint loosely in bold strokes to capture the essence rather than detail. I work quickly to create a sense of movement and energy, accentuating colours. I hope my finished painting gives an impression of the place and the moment — be that light, weather or mood. 

They say the camera never lies, but I find photos flatten the landscape, making hills lower and valleys shallower. You only really get a sense of place by painting in situ. This usually means a good amount of walking with my kit to seek out the best views: a challenge sometimes, but always rewarding. 

I believe an artist needs to be immersed in their particular landscape — this was often the case with great masters such as Constable in Suffolk or Van Gogh in the South of France. I am inspired not by chocolate-box tourist destinations but by the real 'wolds' that locals know. 

 

Tracey Elphick Cirencester Market Place www.traceyelphick.co.uk 

As Cirencester is my home town, I have a strong emotional connection. Visually, the Market Place is very appealing, with beautiful buildings, the imposing parish church and bustling, vibrant stalls. 

I use mixed media, with local collage paraphernalia, acrylic paint and ink. This is applied with experimental techniques, such as spraying, sponging, and sgraffito. I use quick, spontaneous marks to give a feeling of movement and harmony. 

Colourful and vibrant street scenes with interesting architecture inspires me. I look for a strong composition, where I can add figures to give life. I'm a versatile artist and also paint abstract landscapes, seascapes and a range of still life work. My studio is at New Brewery Arts in the heart of Cirencester, where I am open six days a week. 

 

Rosalind Wise Lady's Bedstraw and Pyramidal Orchids on Selsley Common www.rosalindwise.co.uk 

One favourite place to paint is Uley Bury, near where I live. I visit seasonally, noting changes in landscape, weather and plants. It's an Ancient Settlement Site and, as one does the walk around it, one can feel its history and sense of place. One can see miles into the distance: Cam Long Down (part of the Cotswold Way), Small Pox Hill, the Malvern Hills, even the Severn Bridge on a clear day; and, finally, the village of Uley nestled below. Even when it is wet and misty, the walk invigorates and inspires. 

My painting is based on orchids found at Selsley Common near Uley Bury. My paintbrush visits anywhere wild and beautiful, meadow or garden. 

I love oils because of their wonderful colours and rich, easy, forgiving texture. 

I work to capture the feeling of a place, rather than a photographic record of where one has been. The Cotswolds has a wonderful human scale, with hills and hidden valleys that appear secret yet available to all. 

 

Sharon Williams Trees between Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold (Journey Home) www.sharonwilliams.co.uk

My favourite local spots are all within a five-mile radius of my house: places I walk and cycle with my husband regularly. One spot is a group of trees I pass often along the Burford to Stow road, depicted in my painting Journey Home. It's a mix of deciduous and pine, standing in the middle of fields. The light is incredible here, thanks to the elevation and uninterrupted views towards the Barringtons on one side and the Evenlode Valley on the other. I enjoy finding beauty in the familiar and commonplace. 

Back in my studio, I work from quick sketches, colour notes and photo references, all guided by key words that reflect the mood or emotion I want to capture. This process influences my colour choices, brushstrokes, and even the music I play while painting. I enjoy adding a contemporary twist to traditional subjects, using expressive brushwork, layers and glazes to bring depth and texture. 

As an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the landscape is gorgeous in every season, offering fresh perspectives all year round.  

 

Guy Warner Stanton from the Cotswold Escarpment www.guywarner.co.uk 

I love walking in the hills around my home in Winchcombe. Being on the western edge of the Cotswolds, the views are tremendous, with land falling away to vistas over the Vales of Evesham and Gloucester. A particularly special place is Stanton, six miles northeast of Winchcombe: an enchanting village of ancient, thatched, Cotswold-stone cottages frozen in time. The steep lane past the Mount Inn becomes a footpath: after a short climb, you get to an old, quarried area (now grassy mounds and divots). Turning around, you see the western landscape spread out, with views as far as the Malvern Hills and Black Mountains. 

I look for colour and pattern and seek to heighten those qualities. As I use a graphic, illustrative style, my work is focused on compositional arrangement of shapes and colours. I take photographs as I walk and create the painting later in the studio using these as a basic guide, allowing my imagination to play a key role. 

The best views are often away from roads; so coinciding time and energy for walking with favourable weather is one of my main challenges. I usually edit out reminders of the mundane, such as telegraph poles, fences and road signs. This is a challenge in representational art as it is tempting to include every detail you see. 

I look to the Post-Impressionists and their adventurous use of colour for inspiration, and the graphic design and art of the 20s and 30s — in particular railway posters — to inspire my own arrangements of line and form. 

 

Art Supply Shops 

Our artists recommend the following art supply shops: Cotswold Art Supplies, Stow-on-the-Wold (cotswoldartsupplies.com); Jackson's Art, Quedgeley, Gloucester (jacksonsart.com); Coln Gallery, Cirencester (colnart.com).