This painting in oils of Chazey Court Farm was painted by Diana Penson on one of our Summer Painting Days (organised but untutored painting days out) in 1988. The painting was exhibited at the RGA 59th Annual Exhibition 13th May – 3rd June 1989, Reading Museum and Art Gallery, Reading. It was given to Reading Museum as a gift from Reading Mayor Kay Everett in the same year.

Chazey Court Farm dates from medieval times and is situated on the northern floodplain of the River Thames on the Mapledurham Estate, upstream of Reading and Caversham, and includes a Grade I listed brick barn.

Diana Penson has been a member of the Reading Guild of Artists since 1963. She worked as a librarian at Brunel University, which was running painting courses during the summer holidays and she joined in, taking her holiday and turning up at her usual work location! They have two of her paintings in their collection. With a life-long interest in painting, after her retirement, she attended part-time and summer school classes at the Slade, Byam Shaw, and Heatherleys School of Art.

Diana’s particular interest is landscape painting and she loves painting outdoors, often participating in RGA events and outdoor painting days, going out to paint every week.