Spent a good couple of hours with Tom Hughes painting the Gorge from near Clifton Suspension Bridge.
The second work from that vantage point. The light had been good but went a bit flat in the late afternoon.
Done last 2011, the Shard not yet finished. Both times it was extremely windy, wind gusting up the river and very hard work. These feel like they need a lot more practise. (Top 14" x 10" - Lower 12" x 10" Oil on panel)
'Evening with Mayflower and Rapeseed' field atop
Lavington Hill, edging Salisbury Plain. There could be a lot more white
may blossom on that bush but the light went suddenly, perhaps I'll
still add some more. Oil
on card (10.5" x 8")
The painting below had a tricky
beginning. I'd forgotten my double-dipper so had to paint with pure white
spirit and no oil medium - the cold and fine snow seemed to affect the texture
of the paint so it felt quite dry despite liberally using the wet spirits.
Cows at the
watertank in snow, and Willow Trees
The following day, going back to do a little more to
the above, the cows proved a problem. They came right up to the
two-strand electric fence, gazing curiously at me and bellowing frequently. A
bull with a ring in his nose and steaming nostrils joined them and when he
bellowed he had a destinct tenor tembre to his, whereas the cows and full blown
bass voices. Odd that!
Looking towards
Little Cheverell
All this was unerving and I couldn't really
concentrate standing two feet from the fence, with 20 ton of cattle steaming so
close to my elbow, so I did the painting above, moving off about 20 ft (observing the 1ft per 1ton, safety rule:) and standing with my back to them - still unerving
and checking behind me every now and then!! This time mislaid my rigger, an essential brush, for lines and detail, so the painting hasn't reached a successful conclusion.
Then I was facinated, watching a small flock of starlings
flying back and forth, like they weren't sure where best to settle. It looked a
primal landscape, more like from a Bruegel painting, hardly like England.