An exhibition of oil paintings in two rooms of the NationalTrust’s Basildon Park October and November 2013
“Its like living near the railway line. After the first two hours you just don’t see the electric pylons and the beautiful countryside just dominates everything. Our house hasn’t a view so I have to go out to look for subjects to paint. Being lazy I usually go by car taking oil pastels and an A3 spirally bound smooth cartridge pad. I stop when something strikes me. It is usually because of the colour. I back up until I’ve got the view in my sights. Sometimes I get out and draw on the car bonnet as a support but often I just look through an open window with the crayons on the passenger seat. Working at speed I try to capture the elements that are the essential components that make the scene worth recording. I leave out detail but am careful about getting everything in the right place. I work from the sketches in my studio to paint the large oils. My aim is to make them look as if they were painted on the spot.”
Nick Schlee 2013
