Since I’ve been creating videos about my paintings, a very long list has developed and as painting allotments is something I’ve always done and always really enjoyed, I’m really pleased that finally, this subject has come to the top.
A set of six Greetings cards
You can buy this set of greetings cards here
You can buy this painting here
You can buy a limited edition of this painting here
In the video I will also feature me painting this composting toilet in the allotment in my home village of Pilton.
You can buy this painting as a limited edition print her
What is an allotment?
An allotment is a sort of community garden where each person is allotted a certain amount of space where they can grow their own fruits, vegetables, and some flowers for non-commercial purposes.
So essentially that means growing food for you and your family, this tradition is very ancient here in the UK and goes right back to Anglo-Saxon times.
Community
In modern times, it could be argued our communities don’t live on our streets anymore. They live on our phones. So allotments, especially in a very big city, could provide the vital human contact many of us need.
You get to meet people and there are some wonderful characters. Which is perfect for me because I get to observe, draw and paint them living their day-to-day lives.
You can buy this painting as a limited edition print her
The city allotment of Portsmouth
Part of the video features a very large allotment in Portsmouth, a particularly congested City, although not here of course. This allotment has the visual advantage of being right by the sea and it was this view that inspired the painting below.
You can buy this painting as a limited edition print here
It features a group of allotmenteers carrying their Bounty to the allotment show in the hope of winning a prize. I don’t know whether they won anything, but I did well out of it all as this painting was featured at the Royal Academy summer exhibition in London.
I have painted the allotment in Pilton, where I currently live, as well. In the foreground I focused on the flowers in close-up, and then stretched through to the hills beyond and then to the very far trees to give an idea of the scale. I produced a very large painting for this, so you can see lots of that fussy detail I so enjoy here.
You can buy this painting as a limited edition print here
You can buy this painting here
Pilton is a lovely place for an allotment and I confess it’s the only place where I actually had an allotment myself. I was really looking forward to growing my own food. However, I made an absolute hash of it. I would look away for two seconds, and then my crops would be replaced by weeds. In fact, the only thing I ever successfully grew were carrots and even then, I’m not entirely convinced any of it was down to me as they were planted by the person it previously belonged to. So now I just stick to painting them.
You can buy this painting as a limited edition print here
In conclusion
Allotments are fantastic places for growing good, healthy food and they’re great for developing Communities. They’re also great for your mental health and brilliant for physical exercise, especially for older people.
As long as these places still exist, I will keep painting them.
You can buy this painting as a limited edition print here
You can buy this painting as a limited edition print here
One comment:
Loved the video. Really appreciate the finer details like the holes in the cabbages but it’s the connection betwixt plot and characters that stands out -even when they are not in view! But they have left their mark in hunting or left garden tools .