The changing face of Coombe Hill provides inspiration for artist (From Gazette Series)

The changing face of Coombe Hill provides inspiration for Wotton artist

10:56am Friday 11th January 2013 in News By Lucy Fulford

A WOTTON artist has recorded the changing seasons by painting the same view of Coombe over 50 times in the past year.

Rob Collins, 60, embarked on his ambitious project in November 2011.

For his Coombe Hill Series, Mr Collins painted exactly the same view once a week for a year working throughout the seasons and at all times of day.

The resulting collection of over 50 oil paintings creates a unique record of the landscape.

From snow-dusted fields to bright summer days, diverse weather conditions are captured. One night painting captures the full September moon, while another includes the Round-the-Edge Community Choir sitting in the wildflower meadow, who had come to sing and picnic while Mr Collins painted on a summer’s day.

Mr Collins, who also teaches art at Under the Edge Arts, Wotton-under-Edge, said he had wanted to create a body of work like this ever since he did a smaller set 20 years ago of six views over Uley.

He also found inspiration from one his favourite artists, David Hockney, who last year showed English landscape paintings in his hugely popular exhibition A Bigger Picture at the Royal Academy in London.

Mr Collins explained: "He’s a bit of a hero of mine. Hockney talks a huge amount of sense and speaks in language ordinary people can understand about really complex ideas about art."

Mr Collins, who has exhibited across the country, said this body of work was very special to him.

"I love it," he said. "I don’t quite know how to put it. I feel really attached to it."

The Coombe Hill paintings will be displayed at Under the Edge Arts on Saturday, January 12 and Sunday, January 13, before moving to Newark Park on Saturday, March 2 until Sunday, April 28.

Visit Rcollinsart.com to view the series.