Such lovely feedback from artist Veronica van Eijk, following the publication of her feature in the March/April edition of LandLove magazine.
It was an absolute delight to spend time with Veronica and her husband Mike Lodge during the shoot at their welcoming farmhouse and studio in East Sussex.
The moment we arrived, Mike set to, in true Great British Bake Off style, kindly baking fresh bread to use as props for the shoot and, later, for a very tasty al fresco lunch.
During our busy day, photographer colleague Bruce Hemming and I had the privilege of stepping into Veronica and Mike’s idyllic rural life. We discovered how chancing upon the farmhouse has opened a whole new world to this go-ahead couple.
Veronica told me how she instantly spotted the potential of a crumbling brick and flint barn, realising immediately that, with vision and effort, it could become the characterful studio where she now paints and holds workshops.
What this talented artist hadn’t anticipated was how her art would take a complete change of direction – inspired by her new neighbour’s herd of organic dairy cows! Neither did she know that she’d become so involved with the super artist-run Chalk Gallery in Lewes, where her work is displayed.
Bruce and I thoroughly enjoyed our busy day on the Pevensey Levels and, to receive the following email when the magazine was published, made the shoot even more worthwhile:
‘Mike and I both love the feature about our home. The house looks super and the article is fabulous. It is a lovely thing for the house to have had a chance to be in the limelight and, for us, it is a wonderful memento to keep and share with our children. Huge thank you to you, and to Bruce as well.’
To read the full story, pick up a copy of LandLove. To view Veronica’s website click here.
Attached are a few snaps taken on my phone during our shoot.
