Mells, Somersetshire 

Winston Churchill painted "Mells, Somersetshire" with oil on canvas, using the techniques of plein air Impressionism, where the artist paints outdoors, capturing the effects of natural light and atmosphere. The material qualities of oil paint itself are key here. Note the texture and viscosity that Churchill achieves, and the way he builds up layers to create a sense of depth and luminosity. This evokes the play of light across the stone and foliage of the garden. The loose brushwork gives the painting an airy, almost dreamlike quality. Churchill’s turn to painting was in part a search for personal solace. Painting outdoors, en plein air, allowed him to escape the pressures of political life, and to express his creativity in a tangible way. Oil painting became, for him, a form of craft. We should remember that beyond the image in front of us, there is a person at work, expressing themself through the material possibilities of oil paint.