Putting Julie Cannon in the frame. From this month visitors to our Tearoom will be in for an extra treat!
Five specially commissioned Puzzlewood-themed prints will be on display (with smaller prints & cards available for sale), all dreamt up by Julie Cannon, local artist and creator of Watercolour Puddles.
The result is a collection of beautifully observed and whimsically executed watercolours that highlight some of the birds and animals you might see on your visit to Puzzlewood interwoven with quirky vintage objects – a signature of Julie’s paintings.
Entirely self-taught, Julie has only been painting for 3 years – taking it up when she moved to the local area in 2016 and finally found herself with enough spare time to experiment. “There’s a magic to watercolours that I find addictive. I use a lot of water, make a lot of puddles (hence my name) and encourage the colours to blend and form texture”.
Taking her inspiration largely from her garden and the beautiful Forest of Dean, Julie likes to start each painting with the eyes of the bird or animal as she says this helps her understand their individual character – whether they be inquisitive, playful or shy. Once she is happy with these, she says the animal itself just seems to urge her on to paint their feathers or whiskers. “The most spontaneous ones, ones that were sketched out one night in my Pjs and then splashed onto the artboard the following morning are my favourites”. Julie clearly loves to let the creatures themselves tell their stories! But it’s not just the varied characters of the animals that give her work such charm. Julie also likes to pair each of her creations with a whimsical object or two. “I love to bring out their personalities by placing them on vintage finds. Sometimes I’ll see an object and wait for the perfect little companion, which could take weeks or months, but at some point the colours or the shapes will click for an idea”.
The commission came about after Puzzlewood Managing Director, Helen O’Kane, discovered Julie at a local Christmas Market and bought Christmas Cards for all the Puzzlewood staff. They got chatting and the idea for an exciting new collaboration came about quite naturally. Initial sketches for the pieces were put down quite quickly. It was always Julie’s intention to try to capture the magic of Puzzlewood within each of the paintings. “I love quirky and different so I love Puzzlewood for those reasons”. Now finished, the five pieces are entitled:
1. Puzzled Robins
2. Postcard from Puzzlewood
3. Ready for Adventure
4. Bridge to Puzzlewood
5. Puzzlewood’s Banksy
Each piece has its own unique little story to tell. And each will be available to buy in a variety of print sizes and cards. If you’d like to take a look for yourself, or indeed take home your very own Puzzled Robin or Runner Duck then head on down to Puzzlewood.
Quick fire: More about the Artist
Friday night: Pizza, Indian or Chinese?
Chinese – although I like to grab some deep fried halloumi from the chippy and pair it with a pineapple fritter, that’s normal right?
Current Boxset?
Nothing current but Thrones and Peaky Blinders have cost me a few weeks of my life although they were enjoyable ones.
Night owl or Lark?
Definitely not a lark. Not so much a late owl. More an evening owl, as I like my sleep!
Scrabble or Monopoly?
Not much of a board game person, I’m more the solitary weirdo!
The book you like to pretend you’ve read?
War and Peace. I tried honestly. I did read the Lord of the Rings trilogy though and that’s a pretty meaty set isn’t it?
Tea or Coffee?
Tea. Love the smell of coffee but not the taste.
What is your opinion on Custard Creams?
They must be dunked, its an unwritten rule!
Puzzlewood has commissioned five prints from Watercolours Puddles’ creator Julie Cannon which will be on view in the tearoom from March 2020 and available to buy in various sizes.
1. PUZZLED ROBINS
Although you are unlikely to ever see a pair of Robins cuddled up together (since they are one of the most territorial of the UK’s birds), Puzzlewood is a magical place where reality is easily suspended! The idea of a nest made up of twigs, moss and toadstools, dotted with pieces of a puzzle – with a few bugs thrown in – seemed fitting. It’s what I’d like to imagine the Puzzlewood Robins call home.
2. POSTCARD FROM PUZZLEWOOD
This is a real mash-up of Puzzlewood and Watercolour Puddles. Its the kind of thing I like to paint. Owls are often heard or seen in the wood and I’ve always found them mystical. I’ve paired them here with vintage binoculars, yew tree sprigs, an Observer book and a postcard sized landscape of a well-known view in the wood.
3. READY FOR ADVENTURE
I loved meeting the inhabitants of Puzzlewood and enjoyed watching the resident ducks bathing. Putting on wellies to explore I was told to keep an eye out for the mice that also live there and I got good and muddy looking for them! The joy of wearing wellies and walking in mud – bliss. A runner duck seemed a good fit for the boots, which I covered in puzzle pieces and stood amongst toadstools.
4. BRIDGE TO PUZZLEWOOD
Even though I rarely paint landscapes I was determined to try giving the Watercolour Puddles treatment to the ancient woodland of Puzzlewood. A few residents trit-trotting across the iconic bridge seemed the perfect combination and was extra fun as I got special permission to wade in the muddy paddocks to take reference photos.
5. PUZZLEWOOD’S BANKSY
Banksy, the resident cat, is a big character at Puzzlewood and often follows visitors into the woodland. When I visited she was enjoying the sun on a picnic table. Deciding to paint Banksy steampunk style was a bit of a lightbulb moment – but one that I felt Banksy could pull off purrfectly!
