Watercolours by Judith Ackland
Judith Ackland’s Watercolours
An accomplished watercolourist, Judith Ackland’s watercolours, comprising mainly of landscapes, were shown during several Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions between 1927 and 1932. But a greater majority of her work was exhibited either locally or in her later life. Her watercolours show a very delicate and precise touch creating a beautiful translucent and often ethereal quality to her landscapes.
A lifetime member and periodic chairwoman of the Westward Ho! & Bideford Art Society, Judith would often break up her time at Bucks Mills during the summer to help arrange, hang and invigilate the annual exhibition. Her work was frequently sold from these exhibitions and was repeatedly mentioned in the North Devon Journal or Gazette.
Though Judith accompanied Mary Stella Edwards on sketching tours and painted extensively during their visits to North Wales and the Lake District, much of her work reflected her love and familiarity with the North Devon landscape. Judith used her valuable free time away from home to paint along the coastline from Bucks, painting views of Clovelly, West Bucks Sands and the village itself. Judith often appears in Mary Stella’s diaries, busy at work on a piece;
“Took tea to the Comic view & I carried on drawing further, while J did more work on her colour sketch – this before tea. After tea I got the paper half covered & J went to the Round Hill to go on with summits & trees making her way from the stile through the wood. The evening light is particularly rich & marvellous. There is another picture to be done up there.”
A diary Extract from 20th May 1940