“Under a Monochromatic Lammas Sky”

“Under a Monochromatic Lammas Sky” Oil on board

My painting, “Under a Monochromatic Lammas Sky,” is currently on display as part of the “Emergence” exhibition at the Dorset Museum and Art Gallery in Dorchester. One of tasks we completed within the artist development programme, for which this piece was the culmination, was to write about our work. The artists involved each wrote a 200 word statement to accompany their pieces. Although, hopefully, my paintings speak for themselves, I found writing about this piece a worthwhile exercise. It has become increasingly important for artists to have the ability to write about their work when it comes to applying for bursaries, entering open call exhibitions and writing blogs! One of the hardest parts of this exercise was to limit it to just 200 words!

I used a limited palette of colours to convey the sun scorched view

Here is my statement:

From the summit of Fontmell Down, the view of the Blackmore Vale stretching below is usually a verdant patchwork of green. The drought of this summer has changed that palette to scorched shades of yellow. Hillsides are parched beige and crops have been harvested early leaving only their golden stubble to protect the dust dry soil from the heat of the sun.

I painted this over the course of a hot August day while immersed in the scene with my easel and paints. I have used Thomas Hardy’s description of an idyllic harvest scene in, “Far From The Madding Crowd.” for the title of this painting. I would like my paintings to be as tightly woven into the landscape as his literary works were.

For myself, plein air painting is a way to connect fully with a place. I am present to observe the shifting of light over the course of a day and the passing of seasons. For this piece I wanted to bear witness to the summer of 2026. Endless, halcyon, days of sun which have been seemed unreal in their perfection and are tinged with the fear of what summers may become as the climate changes.

The rolling hills leading down to the Blackmore Vale, yellowed by the drought of summer 2026

My plein air paintings are usually small in order to keep them easy to handle out in the landscape but this piece is considerably bigger at 40 × 50 cm, twice the size of my usual way of working. It pushed me towards working with looser, more energetic brushstrokes. I experimented with areas of translucency, particularly in the shadows which I found really successful. With every piece I create I learn so much and this painting was no exception. I wanted to take the opportunity to take a few risks - the size, the limited palette of yellows, experimenting with different ways of layering the paint - so I am really happy that it all payed off and the lessons I learnt will be carried into my next paintings.

I was blessed to find a lovely spot in the shade and with a cool breeze on such a hot day!