Painting Days Out

Bowood Woodland Gardens. April 30th 2025

Occasionally, the weather in April defies the prediction of

showers, and instead delivers glorious warmth and sunshine.

Such was the case when members of St Mary’s Art Group

visited Bowood Woodland Gardens, in Wiltshire. The gardens,

part of the Bowood Estate, have been home to ten generations

of the Lansdowne family for almost 300 years.They are a haven

of peace, serenity and colour. So much colour! Hence a perfect

spot for some plein air sketching and painting.

The old adage ‘April showers bring forth May flowers’ clearly needs updating as flowers in these woodland gardens had already bloomed and blossomed into a multitude of heavily perfumed azaleas, magnolias, and rhododendrons. Our timing was also spot on for the carpets of bluebells covering the woodland floors. If any artist ever needed inspiration, here, in Bowood Woodlands we were totally surrounded by it. All of us were in total agreement that, (as Wallace and Gromit would say), it was a ‘Grand Day Out’.

Tip Toe Through The ...Snowdrops!

Paintings will follow.......

Seven degrees. The warmest & driest day for weeks. How lucky were we to chose this Wednesday to visit the magnificent snowdrops at Welford Park, in Berkshire. A quick cup of coffee, an obligatory piece of fruit cake, and off we went, cameras and sketch books in hand, to try to capture something of these wonders at Welford Park.

Welford Park, if you don't already know, was the original home of the Great British Bake-Off but, fortunately for us, snowdrops come earlier in the year than Bake-Off contenders and their wonderful creations. (Bake-Off is returning to Welford this May). Snowdrop time, in February and March, sees hundreds of people following the carefully laid out bark pathways through the grounds and woodland around the 5 acre beechwood, enchanting River Lambourne riverbanks and the gardens of Welford Park to 'ooh' & 'ahh' at the glorious sights of one of the UK's finest snowdrop collections. Not just snowdrops but hellebores, aconites and primroses are in abundance. We walked, we sat & chatted, we took masses of photographs, but did we sketch? Well no, but I promise you will see something of our artistic endeavours in the coming weeks.

'Snowdrops Up Close' by Sue Barratt

'Snowdrop Woods' by Valerie Wiltshire

A couple of snowdrop paintings from this day