"Primroses by Window" (oil on linen; 12" x 12") sold

sold

On the third day of Gregory Packard's workshop, at our vigorous request, he did another demo, this time, from life.  As it turns out, he often paints from his photos.  We were all surprised to learn this.  As I have become "addicted" to painting from photos myself, I actually felt relieved.  There is no right way.  A beautiful painting is beautiful whether it was painted from life or from a photo.

For his second demo, Greg picked a still life setup someone had used the day before--wilting azaleas in a pretty striped ceramic vase.  It was another washout day.  Rain, rain, rain.  Virginia was becoming the Washington state.  The weak light from outside and the artificial light from above produced an unpromising lighting condition.  It was a test.  Could Greg Packard paint a vibrant still life in this challenging condition?

We sat there, mesmerized by how Greg brought life to wilting flowers and light to a still life.  As the light source was not strong, the painting was overall muted, quite different from his first demo painting.  Having struggled with the iris painting the day before, I was humbled and awed to see how he transformed what he saw into what he envisioned--fresh azaleas bathed in soft light.

After the demo, I painted "Primroses by Window," based on a photo I took at Petworth House in West Sussex, England in March.  My grays have become less garish; my greens, softer.  Just like in Greg's second demo painting, the lighting is muted here.  So I painted a gentle still life.  I was pleased.  I think Greg was pleased too.

"English Daffodil Fields" (oil on linen; 10" x 10")

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During our trip to England last month, we had only one day to spare to "hit" a famous estate.  We chose Petworth House and Park in West Sussex, because it was close by and was famous for its art collection.  It is one of the hundreds of properties under the care of the British National Trust.  The village of Petworth is a little blip, compared with the huge Petworth Park.  Look at the stout stone walls that surround the property; it runs for miles!  If you want to take a hike along the five-mile-long trail inside the park, it will take a whole day.

We spent a pleasant day looking at gazillion paintings and other objet d'art at Petworth House.  You should have seen the beautiful sets of copper pans in its kitchen!  But you know what?  Acres of daffodil fields are what I will remember most about Petworth House and Park.

The timing could not have been better. Old-fashioned daffodils that William Wordsworth waxed about two hundred years ago were in full bloom.  Forget the cold weather and the shy sun that kept disappearing behind clouds. My spirit soared when I saw a field after a field, dotted with daffodils.  I ain't Wordsworth.  But I can paint the daffodil fields!

Impressive stone walls that surround Petworth House and Park

Petworth House, built in the late 17th-century, may not look impressive in this picture.

This nice "mansion" is the servant quarters; you can see it in the above picture on the far left.
This should give you an idea how big Petworth House is.

Petworth House is renowned for its huge art collection; it has more than 20  Turners among other masterpieces!

The kitchen, located at the servant quarters, is where they filmed "Downton Abbey".  Just kidding!