Home and Garden
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The Changing Garden
The garden has been a recurring subject in Victor’s work, seen at different times of year and in changing light. These drawings and paintings show the garden as it has developed into the familiar setting of recent years.
When Victor moved here in 1975, the garden was largely a wasteland and had to be cleared and remade. The earlier pictures record some of that transformation. Many also show the tall poplars beyond the end of the garden, which formed a characteristic backdrop until they were eventually cut down. The drawings are in rough chronological order, leading up to the garden today.
Garden Today
From Upstairs
Queen’s Visit
After the Queen’s funeral in 2022, Victor had a dream of the Queen visiting the garden.
Flowers and Wildlife
Flowers, birds—and foxes—have always been part of the garden and recurring subjects for Victor. Roses in particular grow well in its clay soil.
The drawings of a fox wrecking an ants’ picnic feature in a video made for Victor’s grandchildren, The Lazy Pigeon and the Naughty Fox. The video can be viewed here in two parts (3 and 5 minutes).
Enjoying the Garden
The garden is also seen from inside the house. These five views show the same outlook at different seasons and in changing light.
Kitchen and Living Room
The kitchen and living room depict everyday home life. In the kitchen, a panorama and Living Scroll sequences follow Victor through tasks—peeling potatoes, doing the laundry and preparing meals—while two views of the living-room fireplace show the same corner transformed by changing objects and occasion.
