On the Edge of Foxholes Nature Reserve

Red Roofs, oil on canvas, 9x12in

Around 5 miles south-west of Chipping Norton lies Foxholes Nature Reserve, a woodland and meadows area, once part of an ancient Wychwood Forest. The best time to visit is Spring, when parts of the reserve are smothered with bluebells. But for painting purposes other seasons are equally if not more interesting; I especially enjoy painting there in late autumn and winter. Autumn barely started here and I wasn't in a mood for all-green painting, so I set up my easel on an abandonend farm at the edge of the reserve. I was especially interested in the visual interaction of three red roofs and the shadows.