Art - Paddock Studios

Going to the Paddock Studio’s ‘Annual Spring Exhibition’ at their lovely space in Paddock Lane is like stepping back in time. It’s not just the building - a converted stables with high ceilings, wide beams and a dusty cheerfulness. It’s the paintings on show, almost none of which betray any hint of an influence by anything post post-impressionism. There are landscapes and portraits, still life paintings and nudes; all using mainly oils and acrylics. Not even a trace of an abstract: it’s said that Picasso came through Lewes once, but he didn’t make much of an impression here.

The paintings (there are just a couple of sculptures, one rather nice) are mainly created by people doing courses at the studio, and the subject matter inevitably echoes the courses on offer. Some of them are rather splendid. We liked T Perry’s ‘Family Holiday’ (it looks like the holiday was taken in the early thirties); we liked Sue Barnes’ ‘Venetian Dog’ (a perky pup); we liked JMV Davies’ ‘Self portrait’ (in a fetching hat). The local scenery is well represented. There are plenty of Downs, and an inevitable ‘Lewes Castle from the Paddock’. The real star of the show is the Paddock Studio itself. If you get the chance, take a stroll in the back garden, sadly not used as part of the exhibition space this year. If you get the chance, sign up for one of their courses. Just don’t expect it to be in conceptual art. AL