Signs of autumn...

Recalling the autumn of 1953, the following words were written by Sven Berlin's second wife Juanita: "The wonderful Indian summer lingered on, the leaves still green and only a rich tribute of haws, mountain ash berries, scarlet hips and hedges drooping with blackberries heralded autumn; wild flowers still in profusion brushed our passing wheels, bees hummed and summer still tarried for Sven and myself." (Azerbaijan! Juanita Casey)

Forest Fungi by Sven Berlin, 1954

After their long journey on the road from St. Ives in Cornwall to the New Forest, summer was drawing to a close. The autumn mushrooms were in abundance below the beech trees as they drew the horses off the road at Stoney Cross and along the track in Stonard's Wood, not far from Emery Down. Here they set up camp in the beech wood, close to a young oak which became their 'tree of stars'... Sven's well-observed oil painting above has captured the damp, mossy habitat of fallen fungi he would have foraged there.

As the months went on and inspired by this vastly different environment, Sven painted in these 'Old Testament' colours creating his Shave Green paintings of the Romany Gypsy compound: 'This pot pourri had a vibrancy which he found mesmerising...' (Timeless Man, p.124)

The wagon survived its long journey, and was parked in later years at Home Farm (photo: John Paddy Browne, 1963)