The view which I endeavoured to paint last week, sparked distant memories from our camping days on the Chase. When I was about six, I used to visit my grandparents caravan at a campsite named ‘Tackeroo’, placed right within the forest. The location provided the greatest sense of adventure, as we cycled for hours along the trails! I fondly remember the time I reached a part of a bike trail, where a view of the nearby town Rugeley, was no longer concealed by the trees. In shock, I exclaimed to my Grandad, “I can see all the way to London!”. Of course amused by my statement, my Grandad did not ruin this extremely exciting moment for me, replying with something along the lines of: “London?! Oh wow!”.
The significance of the view we have right around the corner from our new home, was underpinned by this memory. Although not London, I can indeed see all the way to Birmingham. This city I can see on the horizon, is where I will be travelling for the next two years, for my MA course. I can’t blame my Grandad (even after fifteen years since my claim that I could see London all the way the Midlands!) for being sceptical when I reported this view from the top of our road!
When painting the view, I was reminded of my final piece at college, which I named: “I can see the sea”. Although very different types of painting, completed three years apart, both of these paintings marked a new beginning. “I can see the sea” represented a special bond between me and my little sister, set in Aberystwyth, where I would soon relocate. The location this painting was set in was hugely significant, however it did not occur to me, until after I started university, just how much the landscape would influence my artwork.
We are lucky enough to have the beautiful area of Cannock Chase right around the corner from where we now live. I am placed within a very different landscape than where I was six months ago- in Aberystwyth. When in Aber, I had already started to include slightly urban scenes within my work, which has helped my transition from a slow-paced, picturesque town, to a much more busy area. Set in-between rural and urban surroundings, I am now faced with several directions in which I could take my work. This new set of surroundings is fascinating for me, and I am eager to document this varied landscape, throughout my masters.
Adalia Mynett 