A Quiet Place for Landscape Painting

My landscape teacher, Marc Dalessio, a very good artist who had an unfailing eye for my mistakes, gave me a good tip which I pass on: if you want a commanding view of a town or village, head for the cemetery – this is often on top of a hill where you will not bother anybody with your easel and have a quiet place to work. Cemeteries or, more particularly,  churchyards  here, in England, are picturesque in themselves. Having gone to seed these last few years, my local churchyard is slightly more picturesque than usual. I was there a few weeks ago to do some work as the spring flowers had come out (wood anemones and primroses mostly). Here are two of my sketches.

St Peter’s Churchyard 2, oil on board, 25 x 35cm , 2013

St Peter’s Churchyard 3, oil on board, 30 x 40cm, 2013

Here is another study I painted last autumn.

St Peter’s Cemetery 1, oil on board, 20 x 30cm, 2012