Visionary and Surreal Landscape – this topic was set towards the end of the Landscape Painting Diploma Course. It was an interesting challenge because I had never attempted this type of painting before. My tutor Alan recommended looking at the work of Samuel Palmer (1805 – 1881) who I found quite inspirational. His work is very mystical but also feels contemporary and new age despite dating to the early 1880s.
I decided to use the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in West Sussex because I used to volunteer there and found it a very inspiring place with a lot of rustic mystique that I was hoping to convey.
The painting is set in the early morning with dew on the grass and mist in the distant fields. The May Queen is dressed in her May Day finery and is dancing barefoot through the field following three running hares. Three running hares are considered to have an association with spring fertility and the lunar cycle. This is balanced with the owl as a symbol of wisdom and good judgement. Owls also symbolize change and transition (for the fertile new Spring season). The May pole represents masculine energy and the ribbons and garlands feminine energy.
I enjoyed the course very much and it encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and try new ideas that I would not have thought of doing otherwise.
Lyndsey Shaw
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