“A field with Red Campions near Cranborne.”
Every year, in May, this lovely field brightens up becoming red. It is situated on right hand side of B3081, coming from Sixpenny Handley towards Cranborne, right after Bottlebush lane. We first notice it a few years ago, and every year wait for the red campions to bloom. We took lovely photographs here and I painted the place twice before; once, in the studio after one of my own photos and once, plein air, nearly in the spot as today, with a very similar composition, as I realized after coming back home and checking the old paintings.
I painted it on a board, similar to some I have used last year in Italy. Very absorbent surface, but this helps when painting en plein air, because the paint dries faster. I used a mixture of brands of paints, trying to reduce my usual palette, but still using probably more colours than I should. I haven’t used any medium, just turps to thin the paints. Still using the triple rectified turpentine instead of the low odour solvent and I am happier and happier with it. I believe that it genuinely makes a big difference. So I wouldn’t go back to the low odour one.
The only problem I had was with the light, strong light coming more or less from nearly front, which makes it difficult to judge colours and values, but I am quite pleased with the result. Probably, in the future I should go out and paint either earlier in the morning or late afternoons to benefit from a better light.
Anyway, this is my weekly painting:
“A field with Red Campions near Cranborne.”
Oil on board.
30 X 40cm (12” X 16”).
