Paintings of The Northumberland National Park

The final five 

At the beginning of October I was approached by The Northumberland National Park to see if I would provide them with five of my small, oak framed original paintings to be used as awards in their annual Award Ceremony in November. It was an easy enough decision to make- I was thrilled to be asked! The National Park includes so many of my favourite places, that I was confident that I already had a fair selection of pieces for them to choose from. But I also felt that I needed a few more paintings of Redesdale and The Hadrian's Wall area to give a broader selection. So I got very busy with the paintbrushes to create a few more works of key places.

Barrowburn in The Coquet Valley and Redesdale Bluebells

By the time The Park's Communications Officer, Frances Whitehead and her colleague arrived there were nearly thirty different landscapes to compare. I have my own personal favourites, but the chosen works had to represent the widely differing types of landscapes found throughout the whole of The Northumberland National Park.

Redesdale Sheep in the Heather and Outer Golden Pot in The Cheviot Hills

 It was a difficult enough process to whittle them down to the final ten, but to get the last five was almost impossible. At one point I feared it was going to be like X Factor- going into "Deadlock" and having to rely "the public vote". But eventually the choice was made. I'm still sorry that my "Lordenshaws" didn't make it, but never mind- it means that I can enjoy it myself for a little bit longer. 

Simonside Hills from Rothbury's Hillside Road

Normally I frame these small paintings myself, here in my studio using the solid oak frames made to my specifications by my Newcastle framer. But as the Park's logo and Award label needed to be included in the pictures' window-mounts, I sent the whole lot down to the framer to be finished. I'm not used to having to wait to see the final results, so it's been a strange anticipatory experience for me. Yesterday the five completed paintings arrived back here, needing only the final labels on the backs and a final signature, before they can be collected by one of the Park Rangers ready for Thursday's ceremony

Close up showing the Northumberland National Park logo inset into the window mount

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I so hope that the lucky recipients like them!   

Applying the title sheets to the back of the finished paintings

Lordenshaws

I still have the lovely, Lordenshaws with cairn looking along the heather covered Simonside Hills!