Just Joey

 Rosa Just Joey an original silk painting (c) Tessa Spanton

I spent about an hour drawing this rose in the gardens of Pashley Manor. It was around midday on a very warm

and sunny July day. By the time I had finished, the rose had opened further and the quality of light had changed.

The silk painting was done later in my studio.

Today I took this and 4 other paintings, some prints and cards down to Pashley Manor in East Sussex. They will be there on show and for sale from Easter till the end of September.

I also have limited edition prints available to buy. If you are interested conact me here

It was windy, cold and wet today, very different from the day when I drew this rose. The trees were bare and the rose bushes neatly pruned. There were snowdrops, hellebores, winter honeysuckle and daffodils in flower

These flowers were under snow only a few days ago but in about six weeks time there will be around 22,000 tulips in flower in time for the tulip festival.
When I look at that painting I still remember being in those beautiful surroundings and what a hot sunny day it was and the lovely lunch I had on the terrace when I had finished the drawing. That's what I love about drawing or painting out of doors, there's so much more of the experience going into it than from just a photo.

Paintings at Pashley

above painting in the garden last September

Pashley Manor

3rd April to 29th September 2012

Gardens, Café and Gift Shop Open
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Bank Holiday Mondays and Special Event days – 11.00am to 5.00pm.

There are also several special events for garden and art lovers, for more details click here

I have been invited to show some more silk paintings this year at this beautiful place. I took the paintings there last week. As I waited for the huge wooden door to open I noticed that 1550 was carved in the wood over the door as well as some decorative carving. After I had handed over my work I had a look at the garden. It opens to the public on April 3rd and the gardeners were working hard to get things ready. It was almost a year to the day since I last delivered my paintings there. The garden was waking up again after the winter with daffodils in flower and the promise of so much to come. I visited the garden several times last year observed the changing of the seasons and I painted and drew there. I felt a sense of anticipation seeing it again. The daffodils are in flower again and the leaves of the tulips herald an amazing show of around 22,000 flowers. Last year I drew a rose named Just Joey. In the midday heat of the July sun the rose opened further as I was drawing it. There it was, pruned and beginning to produce new shoots. Back in my studio I did a silk painting of this rose. There will be limited edition prints of it in the Pashley shop.