Over the last few months I have been immersed in all things Levens Hall in preparation for an exciting new exhibition of my work opening at the end of this month at the Hall.

Levens Hall is a manor house, open to the public, situated in the Kent Valley in Cumbria. A major building has existed on the site from as early as 1350. The building as it stands today, is mostly Elizabethan.

I’ve been examining every inch of this wonderful old pile, not only the building itself but also the incredible famous topiary garden, the animals, wild and domestic, and even the Bagot family in residence… diverse and fascinating reference material, indeed!

In the lead up to the exhibition I’ll be uploading sketches and preparatory works showing background work, so do come back soon to see more!

First up, I thought I’d show you some of my preparatory sketches of the building itself.

I loved drawing the architectural details and eccentric character of the construction. The old bendy leaded light window panes and the Irregularity of the whole thing.

Of particular interest are the plants that grow on the building itself  they are fantastic and include varieties of clematis Virginia creepers and superb wisterias which make the whole place impossibly beautiful and colourful.

I found the weird and wonderful chimneys fascinating. There are so many of them, they are huge and look  like some thing from a fairy tale.

Here are a few sketches: