Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

212 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|August 2019

bright,primarytonesfamiliarthroughout

Noddybooksalongsidemoremutedcolours

representing,“thedarkersideoftheauthor’s

personality.”RoaldDahl,Ilearn,wasnot

onlyawriterbutaninsomniac,frugal,

distributedironlungsandkepthispickled

appendix,facetsofhisliferepresentedhere.

OthersunderWendy’sartisticscrutinyinclude

OliverCromwellandSirFrancisDashwood.

T

oappreciateanypainting,time

andattentionarenecessities.

Withsomuchbackstoryin

eachofthesecanvasses,onlyby

increasingthatinvestmentwill

youabsorbtheminutiaeandsogainadepth

ofknowledgeofthelivesofthosechosen.

Doesshe,Iwonder,plantheinformationto

beincludedbeforeshebegins?Myquestion

ismetwithadelightfullyquirkyWendy-esque

retort.“No,that’stooformal.Iquitelike

bambooscaffoldingratherthansteel.”

EachofWendy’ssubjects,allofwhom

boastaconnectiontothearea,willbe

displayedduringtheartist’sDrawntoThe

Chilternsexhibition,herfirstHeritageOpen

Day(September, 14 , 15 and 21 from 11 amto

4 pm).

Whydidshedecidetotakepartinsuchan

event?“Iwanttoreachoutsopeoplecansee

whereanartistworks,theprocess,looking

atthenittygrittyofideasandseehowthey

evolve.”Wendywillbepresenttodiscussher

workandanswerquestions,perhapseven

motivatevisitorstotakeupart.

Sheiscertainlykeentoencourage

questionsdespitemyenquiryaboutherart

trainingbeingmetwithatypicallymodest

response.“BirminghamCollegeofArt.Ithas

agreattraditionofpaintinganddrawing,a

greatdisciplineintheclassicway.”Anywhere

else,Ipush?Withawaveofthehandshe

adds,“ItriedtheRoyalCollegeofArt.Itwas

wonderful,thecentreofthecreativearts.”

Bytheendoftheafternoonwe’ve

movedontoherloveofWendoverandits

accessibilitytoherbelovedoperaandballet,

touristswhovisitthisvillage,anditsbalance

ofparochialandvibrancywhileremaining

aplace,“ofsubstanceandintegrity.”An

interestingdescription.Becausethesealso

aptlysumupWendyLewis,anartistwhose

dispositionisasappealinglycomplexasher

DrawntoTheChilternswatercolours.

heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/

event/drawn-to-the-chilterns

‘Iwanttoreachoutsopeoplecanseewhere

anartistworks,theprocess,lookingatthenitty

grittyofideasandseehowtheyevolve’

ARTS CULTURE

L