Jessie Lilac Blog

Every year at the time of the Summer Solstice it's a family tradition to go for a walk somewhere high up, with a good view of the sunset. When my brother lived in Swindon we'd go to Barbury Castle but now he's moved to another area, this year we thought we'd go to a different place that's closer to where he now lives. I blogged about our Barbury Castle walks in 2011  here  and in 2010   here . :) This year we went to  May Hill !  They say you can see 12 counties from here. The view was spectacular even though it was getting dark and a little cloudy. We could clearly see the Brecon Beacons, the Mendips and the River Severn to name but a few. I'd love to come back again one sunny day during daylight hours, it really was an incredible view. My photos don't do it justice at all but I think you get the idea! What a perfect place to watch the sun go down on the longest day of the year. ******** Do you reme

Has it really been over a month since I've posted here? I do believe it is! I have some new paintings that I've recently finished but first of all I'd like to show you  some of the delights that I saw on my visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The picture at the top of this post is a beautiful embroidered silk portrait of the wife of Charles I. Her face is made from linen covered wood with painted features and the hair is real! The date is c.1660. The picture below is a small section of a larger painting that caught my eye. I love the blue ethereal landscape, it could be a painting all of its own couldn't it? more detail below... The painting above is by Annibale Carracci (1560-1609). It was quite a small painting but something about it kept making me go back several times to look again. There's such emotion in her face. The painting above is by Roelandt Savery 1576-1639. I love all the detail and the slightly surreal qua