It's been a real mixed bag of weather since my last post. In the last two weeks we have had 7 dry days, two of these have been sunny the rest just dry.
We have tried to be super flexible and made every provision to take advantage of these dry days ...no hardship in this but it does mean being ready at the drop of a hat to change your plans at the last minute. I can't remember a time when we have been checking the forecast so avidly !
In amongst the going and coming back, the packing and the unpacking of rucksacks I have managed to get some more paintings on the go. The process of osmosis is still at play and my current inspiration surrounding crags and rocks is not surprising. When you spend time in a particular landscape and environment it tends to seep into your sub conscious.
Some of the days have been really overcast and broody, others the cloud cover intermittent, and then beautifully sunny like yesterday. The sandstone rock in Northumberland is really beautiful on a bright day.
The colours,textures and weather induced formations come into their own on a sunny day.It's as if the the sunlight reveals the rocks hidden secrets.
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| Bowden Doors, Northumberland. |
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| Lovely jugs, aka Monkey Toes !! |
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| Nature 's sculpture |
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| Walking out from Bowden, overcast but humid |
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| Bright blue skies at Kyloe |
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| Small oil & wax on card |
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| Small oil & wax on card |
I have no desire to paint the rock formations as such. I have come to know these paces through rock climbing of course but as an artist what attracts me to them and the landscape in which they sit is the overall textures and colours of the rock and how these elements interact with the different weather conditions.
The bees wax is a useful material when used underneath oil paint..it is suggestive rather than being descriptively specific. This is an element which I really like ....it's unpredictability and revelatory nature is akin to how the light can open up the surface of the sandstone. With the rock it's something that is not always obvious and when it comes to my painting is doesn't always work but when it does it feels like a little pocket of magic. Very satisfying.
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| Wheat field, cypresses and wind |
Finishing off the week last Sunday we climbed a number of multi pitches in the Lakes. All very enjoyable but I was utterly taken aback to find out how literally freaked out I felt due to the gusty conditions, especially on Sunday !!
I kept thinking about Van Gogh, which might sound strange but I am sure there is some connection between windy weather and madness ? I didn't exactly feel like I was going mad but for the whole of our time climbing on Troutdale Pinnacle I felt tense and not at ease. The whole atmosphere was dramatic and foreboding.
Oh well nothing like a little bit of drama to help make you put the calmer, less exciting moments in life into perspective when they come around.
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| Looking down from Grey Crag onto Buttermere water |
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| Climbers on Suaviter, Grey Crag |
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| John after the traverse on Troutdale Pinnacle |
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| Gillean makes the moves ! |
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| Derwent water |
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| Half way up Little Chamonix, wind and rain coming in up the valley. |
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