Guernsey cows, Le Longue Rocque

Artist Valerie Baines has created more than eighty charming studies of Guernsey’s coastal views, lanes and wild flowers during 40 years of visits to the island. These wonderful illustrations have now been published in her book, Guernsey Sketchbook.

As well as illustrating 10 natural history books Valerie has exhibited her work at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Museum of Garden History and the Royal Horticulturaly Society.

We spoke to Valerie about her long and happy association with our island.

View towards St Peter Port from Jerbourg

How did you first discover Guernsey?

Having stayed in Weymouth several times, we noticed the ferries and became curious about the Channel Islands. My husband, young son and I visited Guernsey first in 1968, coming by ferry from Weymouth, and staying in St Martins.

St Peter Port Harbour, 1968

The paintings in the book were made over 40 years of visits to Guernsey – what is it about the island that encouraged you to return so frequently during that time?

We love the beauty of the countryside, and found the history, archeology, geology and wild flowers all so easily accessible because of the relative smallness of the Island. Over the years of annual visits we made many friends in Guernsey, who told us more about these subjects, and took us to see special wild flowers or archeological features.

Granite wall, wild flowers - St Peter Port

Renoir painted several works in Guernsey in 1883, is there anything special about Guernsey that draws artists to it?

There is a good light in Guernsey that artists appreciate, and very varied scenery ranging from rocky and enclosed bays, to spacious bays, attractive villages, stone houses and old churches. The fortified stone towers from the Napoleonic period are an unusual feature.

Vale Church

Where do you like to stay when you are on the island?

The places we have stayed at have varied over the years with our needs. When we had our son and dog, self-catering accommodation was comfortable and convenient. We could invite friends to visit us there, too. Now that we are older and by ourselves we treat ourselves to the luxury of hotels, and have stayed in several, from the smaller family owned hotels to the most luxurious, all excellent. Now we find it most convenient to hire a car, and stay in St Peter Port with a parking place at the hotel, driving out to the country when we like. The bus service is very good too.

Grange Lodge Hotel Gardens

What kinds of  activities do you enjoy in Guernsey when you are not capturing the moment in  your delightful paintings?

We like the cliff walks in the South of the Island, with wonderful views, trees and wild flowers. Eating outside at bays is most enjoyable, and when we first came, having a tea place in every bay seemed very civilized to me!

Hanois lighthouse, from Pleinmont

Is there a favourite spot, view or subject in Guernsey that you like to paint again and again?

Although the varied landscape throughout the Island has its attractions, I tend to gravitate to the St Martins area, but there are so many lovely views, Neolithic remains and interesting buildings around the Island I find the number of things I want to record and share with others never ending.

Stream at Moulin Huet Bay

Do you have any favourite experiences from the past 40 years of visiting Guernsey that particularly stand out?

I feel that Guernsey has been particularly generous with magical moments for me over the years. Certainly it was a thrill to see the “white horse” waves one very stormy day on the West coast. Something I had read about but never expected to see. (p.49) Another moment was seeing the strange appearance of what seems to be an alcove with a 20ft high figure in it on the Jerbourg peninsula opposite Moulin Huet Bay. (p.46 & 47) This is extraordinary because it can only be seen in a certain light on a sunny day, and otherwise is completely invisible.

'Seahorse' waves

Jerbourg Peninsula, apparent stone figure

What made you donate your collection of Guernsey paintings to the Guernsey Museum?

I have a high regard for Guernsey Museum, one of the best small museums I know. A lot of my paintings are scattered around the world in various collections, and I wanted these paintings to stay together, to be looked after, and be available for any interested people to see, so Guernsey Museum was the obvious choice.

How many works are featured in the collection?

There are 78 paintings in my “Guernsey Sketchbook”, but I have continued painting Guernsey subjects with the hope of an exhibition, or a further expanded edition of the book, and currently I have 8 more (not counting the small Liberation Day and Donkey sketchbooks) – and lots of ideas for subjects to paint yet!

Lukis Observatory

Which of the paintings are your personal favourites and why?

The collection of Guernsey wildflowers (frontispiece & p.32) was the first painting I did in Guernsey. I am amused by the dog carving by the Town Church door (p.3) because at first glance he looks quite sweet and “Snoopy” like, but on closer inspection is anything but! I was so glad that St James’ Church (p.4) was saved and is now well used. At the time it was empty and threatened, we wrote to the Guernsey Press, and through friends in Guernsey I was put in touch with Rodney Collinette who organized the “Friends of St James”, and I offered the Christmas card design to raise money towards the cause. P.5) The Lukis Observatory (p.6) needs “Friends” now!

Guernsey wildflowers

Since the book was published you continue to paint Guernsey subjects – can you tell us a bit more about your liberation day parade sketches and the donkey’s that you are currently working on?

There is no end to the pleasures of Guernsey for me. This year (2011) for the first time we saw the Liberation Day Parade, and my husband cleverly found a roadside café with a table and two chairs in the window, so we had a wonderful view. We were impressed by the lack of any need for policing, and the good-natured feel of the crowds. I felt privileged to be part of the occasion and wanted to attempt to record some of it.
The donkeys that sprang up around the Island this year were a delight. Sadly we only saw about ten of all forty two of them, but the variety, cleverness and wit were most enjoyable. I understand that they were auctioned off and imagine that the school children who decorated some of them would have cajoled (or bullied) their parents and schools to bid for them! I am working on a small sketchbook of the donkeys that we saw, similar in size to the Liberation Day sketchbook.

Sea View Icant to Petit Bot

We are also fascinated by your work with butterfly conservation your related garden design, can you tell us a bit more about it?

I have always loved butterflies, and as a child used to rear Cabbage White butterflies in order to watch them pupate and then fly away. (I didn’t like cabbage either.) Illustrating Natural History books is rewarding because I am learning, and passing on the knowledge in an “at a glance” form. Photography has its place, but only in illustration can you show the entire life-cycle of a butterfly, including the habitat, egg, caterpillar on its food plant, adults and nectar plants all in one picture. There is no language barrier, either. Among the many Natural History books I have illustrated, my favourite is a book for Butterfly Conservation called “Glorious Butterflies”, showing all the British butterflies on their food plants. I have also designing a butterfly garden containing nectar and food plants, for Juniper Hall Field Studies Centre, near Dorking in Surrey.

Swallowtail butterfly

Are you planning another book or exhibition?

I am continuing work on Guernsey paintings in the hope of bringing out a new and expanded version of the “Guernsey Sketchbook” – maybe to coincide with an exhibition of the paintings and sketchbooks at Guernsey Museum. I also exhibit annually in London with the Society of Botanical Artists at Westminster Central Hall, in the Spring.

Gorse study

Flowers, plants and animals are a reoccurring theme in your work and obviously very dear to your heart – can you explain your ongoing fascination?

All my life I have been very short sighted. This was not realized at first, but of course made me concentrate on things close to, therefore our cat and dog, insects in our garden, and nearby flowers were the only things I could see. I clearly remember when I was given glasses, being amazed and thrilled to see leaves on trees, which had just been a blur before. Since then I have wanted to share the sheer wonder of the natural world around us, and get people to LOOK AROUND and enjoy and appreciate it.

For more information about our island’s floral,  fauna and natural beauty see our Floral Guernsey website.

All paintings by Valerie Baines, reproduced by kind permission of the artist.

Orchis Laxiflora