A view leading away from the RNLI Lifeboat Station in Appledore, North Devon. The pen & ink of mine on the left drawn thirty years ago vs the same scene today!
APPLEDORE
Category North Devon
TOWARDS SPEKE’S
Back to a little landscape of Hartland Quay walking along the coast path to Speke’s Mill on the North Devon Coast. Acrylic on 26×16” canvas.
NHS PROFESSIONALS
A series of pen and ink drawings made during the pandemic in 2020. These are nurses and ODPs (operating department practitioners) who worked with me at The North Devon District Hospital.
CROPREDY 2025
My annual trip to Fairport’s Cropredy Festival in Oxford for music, great food and beer. I have a wonderful time walking along the picturesque canals with their longboats and drinking in the two pubs, The Brasenose and The Red Lion. Both pubs have fringe music festivals and I enjoy having a few ales in the churchyard amongst the gravestones opposite The Red Lion. The picture above is of the old lock keeper’s cottage and this is where I often spend time peacefully in the sun.
During this busy visit I managed to get in some time to do some pen and ink sketches. The canal tow path with lock man’s cottage is a particular favourite of mine at Cropredy. The other sketches are of the main arena and stage at the festival with its lights and speaker systems. It was great to see the Harvest Moon in the sky during the evening performances and a special appearance by the famous Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin.
WINDS OF TIME
I cycle the North Devon coast regularly and passing this wind blown tree at the top of Down Lane near Woolacombe recalled an old pen and ink drawing I did years ago. Not much has changed except the gate the overgrowth and instead of grazing sheep corn is now grown; I always liked the sheep’s wool hanging off the barbed wire in the ink drawing. The trees are still almost identical this is perhaps due to the strong coastal winds keeping their growth in check.
GLASTONBURY 2025 SKETCHBOOK
Some pen and ink doodles from this year’s Glastonbury Festival; all were drawn in Tom’s Bar and on the hallowed ground of Tom’s Field. Tom’s Field is where an old grey mare called Tom was kept and where all of us workers now eat, drink and are entertained during the festival. Quite a magical and cathartic place! Al
THREE COMBES FOOT
An acrylic painting of Three Combes Foot near Robber’s Bridge on Exmoor. I discovered a beech tree on the internet and thought it reminiscent of the famous Sycamore Gap in Northumberland. What I hadn’t realised it is actually a group of trees planted in a circle amid an ancient dry stone wall cattle enclosure. Within the shaded, inner sanctum, you experience a magical feeling of serenity, for me one of the secret highlights to be discovered on Exmoor. Al
BUCK’S MILLS
After an enjoyable visit to the quiet Buck’s Mills in North Devon I have decided on this composition. This view is from the stony beach at half tide, I especially liked the exposed and reflective rock pools there. Al
BUCK’S MILLS
Today I’ve spent time sketching at Buck’s Mills on the North Devon Coast. Such a peaceful place to make five minute pen sketches sitting in the warmth of the sun. I love this time of year when the flowers are in full colour and there’s a sprinkling of Cow Parsley everywhere. The sketches will hopefully be used in a forthcoming painting. Al
GREENCLIFF
My first painting since August last year! This is of Greencliff near Abbotsham on the North Devon coast. It was a warm sunny day and whilst walking came across this view after squeezing through a gap in the bracken; it is here where I get my Bideford Black pigment. I can surely feel the gap in my painting fluency due to the lay off in painting but I’m confident this will return over the next few pictures. A little encouragement this painting has now found a new home! Al
Al Brown Artist. 