The Sanctuary, Castlerigg

In the absence of much other painting activity, here is another piece from my watercolour sketch book that accompanies me to most places. This was done on our recent trip to the Lake District.

This is a magical place. Castlerigg Stone Circle sits up above Keswick and fascinates the thousands of visitors who come to marvel at its design and speculate about its function in the ancient world. To make this picture I sat upon one of the flatter stones in the inner circle known as the Sanctuary. My idea was to create a more intimate image than would be possible taking in the full circle of stones.

The Sanctuary, Castlerigg - Watercolour on Not paper 14" x 11"

Lakes Break

This week we got away for a couple of days in the wonderful Lake District and even experienced a little decent weather. In between the pleasant walking and relaxation the odd splash of paint rested on paper. The image here is from a watercolour sketch done at one of the most popular spots in Keswick. The view is across Derwentwater from Friar's Crag.

Cat Bells - Watercolour on Rough paper 14' x 11"

Watercolour Sketch Book

As readers of the blog will know, Sheila and I are fortunate to spend quite a bit of time in the Lake District and whilst it's not always possible to spend lots of time painting, there's usually the opportunity to get out the sketchbook and splash a little bit of watercolour around. Time has been a little pressing recntly and we're off to a family wedding in Slovakia for the next couple of weeks so there will be little to report here. The oils have been put away for the last week, since finishing the Gun Hill picture, so I thought I'd post a few pages from my Lakes sketchbook. As you can see, I've been trying to work on matters like recession and differences in chroma and I think that the work is beginning to reap rewards. Given the weight restrictions and costs associated with luggage on economy airlines it's not possible to carry a lot of gear abroad, but I have managed to sneak a small watercolour box into the luggage while Sheila was engaged elsewhere. With any luck I'll get the chance to splash the paint in venues new to the family.

All images from my Lakes Sketchbook - Watercolour on Not paper

Week away worrying about values

Another escape to the Lake District where we have a static van that provides a great bolt hole. Another bonus this week, a sight of the sun, in fact at times too hot to be out in it too long. Regular readers will know that the last couple of weeks have been a struggle (the blog is appropriately named) with colour and values. At the first opportunity I headed out and set up near a stream below Aira Force with occasional flashes of light getting through the canopy. Worry about values had me over working my paint supply to the detriment of the final value range. This board set me down another route of concern, how to get a wide range of variation of greens with the current limited palette. Another area to work on.

Aira stream - Oil on canvas board 12" x 10"

Reflecting on this first painting I decided that I should set myself a few exercises in value variation. I acquired a set of pens in five different grey tones and set about some sketches in one of my constant companions, a Moleskine sketchbook. The picture below is one of the pages from my sketch book.

Value sketch - Marker pens on paper

Another regular companion with me when out walking is a watercolour book and a small set of paints and it came in useful as an excuse to rest one day on a ramble on the fells. The next picture is a page from my watercolour sketch book.

Ennerdale - Watercolour on Not paper

The last picture of the week came from a stroll down to the lake from the caravan site. It was warm and it was good to get out of the direct sun and look out. When I look at the result I don't get the feeling of light that the conditions warranted and the major cause seems to be a lack of really strong darks. However, there is a sense of aerial recession and that has been a recent problem. So the week ends with limited progress but maybe clearer ideas of how to rectify matters.

Boathouse - Oil on canvas board 12" x 10"

New beginnings and old favourite

Another mixed bunch. Sheila and I went over to the Lake District for a few days respite from family weddings, baptisms and other events. I managed to sneak in the painting tackle and even got out to apply brush to paper or canvas. Unfortunately the paint time that I managed coincided with the worst light conditions so these are a little flat but do provide the basis, along with photographs, for further paintings. The first is a page from my watercolour sketch book and the second a small canvas panel. Both of these completed en plein air.



Aira Force - Watercolour on Not paper 12"x 10"



Eagle Crag - Oil on canvas panel 10" x 8"

Back home to my Norfolk piece that is starting to grow on me. It has been the source of much learning, particularly about the use of mediums to layer paint and produce luminosity. In the flesh there are some interesting passages where lower layers of colour seem to glow through the upper layer. I think that the piece is about finished, certainly for the time being and I will put it aside for a while.



Norfolk Creeks - Oil on stretched canvas 40" x 30"