We stumbled upon this week’s Monday inspiration completely by accident, having made a last minute decision to call in at Mottisfont House in Hampshire to see the roses in full bloom. We certainly enjoyed the riot of petal colours in the Walled Garden but we were also pleasantly surprised to see the latest exhibition in the Mottisfont House gallery spaces.
“Invoking a spirit of escape and adventure, posters commissioned by Shell from the 1920s – 1950s featured historic landmarks and inspiring scenes of British countryside, brought vividly to life by artists such as Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland, Rex Whistler and Vanessa Bell.”
These were wonderfully atmospheric examples of British landscape painting, surprising in their bold expressive gestures considering they were used for advertising. As always it was a reminder to loosen up in my own brushwork and try to let the materials flow a little more naturally.
A National Trust property, Mottisfont House and grounds are always worth a visit, and this particular exhibition continues to the 2nd July 2017 (open 11am-5pm everyday).
