Original paintings never quite look as good on a computer screen as they do in real life, or perhaps it is my photography, but I wanted to introduce you to a wonderful Norfolk artist called Cornelia Fitzroy. A couple of years ago I bought a painting of hers called THE RED HOUSE, which is on the right.
I don’t pretend to know a lot about art, but I love the way she captures landscapes and the colours she uses. Well, I have always wanted to acquire more of her paintings and just before Christmas I finally tracked her down and we agreed I would visit her studio and a gallery where she displays some of her work. Well, Christmas went by and what with one thing or another I didn’t do anything about it. But today John asked me to pick him up from a garage in Attleborough where he wanted to take his new (and very ancient) Land Rover Discovery to be repaired.
Ah, I thought, that can’t be too far from Bungay! So off we trotted to a wonderful little gallery called the Cork Brick Gallery. Several of Cornelia’s works were on display but we decided on this piece (above) depicting a scene near the Norfolk village of Toftmonks. I’d never been to Bungay before, but it’s a delightful little town which reminded me a little of Saffron Walden, where I grew up in Essex.
We then drove another 12 miles to visit Cornelia Fitzroy at her studio. I just knew I wouldn’t be walking away empty handed, and sure enough I didn’t. In fact, quite the opposite. Luckily John loves Cornelia’s work as much as I do and it was difficult to decide what to buy and what not to. It would have been quite easy to spend several thousand pounds. In the end we picked three paintings, all of Burnham Overy Staithe.
So what was supposed to be a trip to a garage turned into a somewhat expensive journey round South Norfolk. All we have to do now is hang them on the wall.
