James Merriott pulls together the virtues of the collection of villages known collectively as the Lavers and enjoys the charm of three parish churches
At the start of what my continued optimism anticipates will be a fresh opportunity for some great painting in a wonderful New Year, I have made a slight change to my approach to my watercolour tour of the county.
Instead of concentrating on one location I felt it time to piece together, two, three or even more villages or hamlets linked by similar names.
The Belchamps, the Rodings, the Easters and many prefixed with Great or Little is the way I intend string these series of paintings together, always looking for some for some of the most special views the county has to offer.
Starting with the Lavers, I was first and foremost rewarded with a beautiful drive through some of our county’s most beautiful country lanes, with picturesque churches and cottages at regular distances.
The three churches were varied enough for me not to be repeating myself and the three compositions with a cottage or cottages contributed to a splendid collection. Overwhelmed by what I had found and appreciated, the difficulty was to do them justice in my work, but I gave it my best shot.
Although nothing is guaranteed, I remain, as I wrote in my introduction, optimistic. I always try to make each day fulfilling, rewarding and always exciting. Happy New Year to you all. Let’s hope it brings much-needed joy and renewal.
You can contact James at Cottage Corner Art, 9 Byron Road, Hutton, Brentwood CM13 2RU. Please call 01277 210728 to make an appointment.
