Up until late last year, I had been going to Joe Daisy Art Studio on the Mapledurham Estate, run by Caroline Hulse. I had originally gone there the year before for a course on abstract painting. It was the first lesson in art I had since I left school decades ago. I was persuaded by my wife to look for a course when I had expressed to her my frustration that my painting had run out of ideas and I didn’t know what direction to take. Up to this point, I had painted representational art – landscapes, the occasional portrait and an even more occasional foray into surrealism. I opined that no such course was likely to exist in my neck of the woods and it wouldn’t be any good even if it did.
I am happy to admit that I was very wrong. I attended Caroline Hulse’s course and it proved to be a game changer. Looking back, I honestly cannot say that I learnt any new techniques or processes but I was inspired simply by being in a studio rubbing shoulders with other artists. Caroline was hugely encouraging and enabled me to free up and be myself. My abstract style has sort of emerged since then and I became a regular attendee of the studio, going there once a week. I got to know my fellow artists and enjoyed the social interaction. We all have very styles that are instantly recognizable to me.
In addition to painting at the studio, I was able to convert one of our rooms at home to be my own studio – a place where I can put my canvas on to an easel, lay out my paints and brushes and not have to worry about cleaning up afterwards. But having such a studio did not stop me from going to Joe Daisy because I simply wanted to be with other artists.
Then Caroline passed away unexpectedly late last year. I was incredibly saddened by it. Bless her.
In the aftermath of her death, our Joe Daisy group of artists had to decide whether we wanted to stay together as a group. We decided yes, so the next question was whether we could carry on at the studio or find alternative premises. We decided on the latter.
The job to find other premises took some time and one of group was instrumental in making it happen but we eventually moved into an old stable on Mays Farm, near Ewelme, Oxfordshire. It is a working farm and we have cows mooing outside the studio and the mechanical sounds of farm machinery at different times. I had spent my teenage years on a farm in South Africa and look back fondly on those years. So, Mays Farm was a happy reincarnation of those times.
We have called it
and even have a modest website. We initially did some basic improvements just to make it usable and we started painting there for the first time just before Christmas 2022. Since then, we tend to use it twice a week, sometimes more. We are also currently making some bigger improvements which will give us more space. We no longer have Caroline as a tutor but we often talk about her. Instead, we ask ourselves “what would Caroline have said?” when we help each other.
The views from the studio are gorgeous. We are in the Chiltern Hills and the fields seem to roll away from us towards the main road. I can envisage some plein air art in the summer months! Hopefully, we are now in a settled home for many years ahead.
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