Introducing 'Sanctuary'

Sanctuary was the first oil painting I worked on in Lockdown in 2020, using our conservatory as a studio.

Although I painted Sanctuary at a time when the world felt very strange, and there was a sense of nervous tension in the air as Covid-19 took hold and the Lockdown set in, I found it incredibly uplifting and therapeutic to work on.

We were lucky enough to enjoy some amazing weather in the spring of 2020, and it was glorious (though a little hot!) painting in the conservatory with the doors and windows wide open, feeling connected with the local landscape through my work and catching the scent of it on the breeze.

This is a small, richly painted, breezy, summery piece—inspired by my series of rural walks around Cawthorne, South Yorkshire.

"It takes a few moments to notice the shed, nestled in the cover of the fragrant trees and vegetation, tucked away in the baked summer landscape.I imagine this tired old structure is someone's haven—someone's respite from the world. In summer you can sit outside and bask in quiet solitude with birdsong around you, or take shelter from the burning sun. In winter, it becomes protection from the icy wind and battering rain. An earthily-scented refuge to enjoy a brew and warm your hands while the weather has its way."

Here's a small time-lapse video of me working on the painting from start to finish.

And if you'd love to have Sanctuary hanging on your own wall, you can find it in my shop right here.

Details from Sanctuary

All images and text © 2020 Julia Brown

Revised and updated January 2025