Down in the meadow something stirs...

Across the fields in the meadowland criss-crossed by public footpaths in a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) lies a scheduled ancient monument dating back to the Neolithic age.

Recently some undergrowth has been cleared away and the ground prepared for a new building. But this is not yet another housing development given the go ahead as part of a local plan to meet the needs of current and future generations.

Far from it!

Here in this quiet corner of the countryside, an Iron Age Round House is gradually appearing post by post to help illustrate the history of this site and how it might have looked all that time ago.

I hope to sketch its progress.

January Plein Air

The temperature gauge in my car read 0 degrees but I was unprepared for the intense cold which makes ears, nose and hands ache. Ears and nose can to a certain extent be protected, but it is a difficult thing to draw and paint while wearing gloves - even mittens are tricky.

I was standing near Broadway Tower, a local landmark and Folly, built on an ancient beacon site with spectacular views all round, which means precious little shelter from wind, rain or as today, intense cold. There is also, which I didn't know, a nuclear bunker on site. A different kind of folly perhaps.

The trees are bare, stark against the large expanse of sky. The land drops away sharply behind the Tower from this position. No comforting distant horizon line where sky and land meet. No hills or woods to act as a backdrop against the old stone walls. Today the smaller branches and their little twigs are hung with frost giving the appearance of early blossom.

I chose the view as I enjoyed the little building in front of the tower and it was best seen from the side of the road opposite a handy lay-by, which meant I could draw looking over the low wall until my hands were ready to drop off, and then get back into the car and turn the heater on until it was warm enough to hold a paintbrush and apply some washes in relative comfort.

There are numerous other view points here and I am looking forward to making return visits as I know from experience that when painting plein air, no two days are ever the same.

Seasonal favourites

There are certain subjects which I look forward to re-visiting each year in order to paint.. Daffodils in Spring for example, straw bales in Summer. Autumn brings harvest time, pumpkins and stunning colour in the foliage. Winter trees are another favourite - and snow, but here in the Cotswolds one can't guarantee to have it every year.

This is not as monotonous as it may sound. Because these are seasonal subjects, one may only have a few weeks in which to study them, the way the light plays on them, their surroundings and so on before they are gone.

By the time they return a year later one has largely forgotten what one did the year before, and so the thrill of discovery awaits anew - and each year there is the possibility of discovering a little bit more to add to the store of ones knowledge.

A bite in the air

 

There was a distinct bite in the air this morning as I painted this view in Lower Slaughter. I have painted this a number of times as it is a well known landmark hereabouts but never before in October.

Now I know why. Perishing ! I thought I would see more of the chimney but the leaves are still clinging on.

Never mind, we sketchers are a hardy lot and don't mind a bit of cold ! Well, not when there is a mug of hot chocolate at the end of it anyway !

Autumn Still Life

 

First Squash

watercolour on paper

 

 

Summer is over, according to the Met office, but the upside to this means that is now officially autumn with a whole lot of new painting opportunities ahead.

 

Too cold/wet/windy for you to go outside ? Well then, why not consider an autumnal still life with all the colours associated with this time of year ?

 

Pumpkins and squashes are coming to the fore - some of my favourite subjects, I can't believe it is a year since I painted any. The trouble with seasonal subject matter -daffodils in Spring for example- they are with us only a short space of time and one has to remind oneself again how to capture their form and colour. Luckily where squashes are concerned there seems to be a never ending variety to choose from which means one can have fun making up new compositions from relatively few objects..

 

I'm looking forward to adding this year's harvest to a number of still life paintings during this wonderful season.

 

I may still go out and sketch between times !

 

Yorkshire continued...

 

Scarborough Lighthouse

 

Another sketchbook page from our recent trip north. Luckily the seagulls weren't interested in mugging us for our fish and chips !

 

The sketchbook is an ordinary Daler Rowney A4 cartridge paper. It doesn't like too much water, but then I tend not to use too much anyway.

Scratchin'

 

Scratchin'

watercolour on paper

 

I met my new friends during a break in my stewarding stint for the Birmingham Watercolour Society summer exhibition at Hanbury Hall yesterday. Luckily I had cream cheese in my roll and not chicken...

Cherry ripe

 

Cherry ripe

Watercolour on paper

 

I drew this looking up into the tree. The reddest cherries were then picked as three large magpies were showing too much interest in them as well as worrying the smaller birds in the garden.

Field of Scarlet

 

watercolour Moleskine sketchbook 8 x 11.5 inches

 

sketched this leaning on a gate beside a busy road, the car pulled half way on to the verge of long grasses. I was nearly finished when a car drew up behind me and a man jumped out. Someone wanting to see what I was doing ? Someone wanting to take a photograph of the view ? Neither -just someone wanting directions to the nearest town...

Garden planter

 

Garden planter

Moleskine watercolour sketchbook page

8.25 x 11.50 inches

 

Sometimes it's good to just paint something for yourself without worrying about how much detail you put in or leave out. Another words to do something just for FUN. Sketchbooks are a great place to do this as well as trying out new ideas or techniques. They are also good if you don't have a lot of time at your disposal

What a difference...

 

Silage bales in the meadow

watercolour on paper

7.25 x 11.25 inches

(12 x 16 inches mounted)

 

What a difference ! A few days ago when I walked here you could hardly see one side of the field from the other due to the height of the grasses. Today, flat as a pancake and these black plastic-wrapped bales have sprouted from who knows where?

Farm Buildings

 

Farm buildings from the village hall

watercolour on paper

7.25 x 11.25 inches

(12 x 16 inches mounted)

 

Such a beautiful morning this morning. These buildings glimpsed through the trees were just too inviting to ignore.

Fresh Baked

 

 

What to do when it's too wet to paint outside - bake a cake, then paint it!  Another entry for my current Moleskine sketchbook

April 30

 

April 30

 

Yay! Made it to the end of the month!

 I love teapots don't you? Something about them that makes them so appealing from any angle. They all seem to have their own little personalities ( or maybe I'm just losing it?)

 

Well, it's been an interesting and enjoyable 30 days. I found the biggest challenge was the smallness of the sketchbook, but it just goes to show that size doesn't really matter!  I am looking forward to having a little more space to be creative in the next one - and not having to do something every day. Although once you get the habit...

 

Hopefully, there will be more sketchbook blogs as well as some other stuff such as...

 

 

April

7.25 x 11.25 inches

watercolour on Saunders Waterford Cold Press paper

 

The frothiness of the blossom has been wonderful this year and has somehow managed to stay on the trees longer than usual despite the wind. It's been lovely to paint it.

 

April 28

 

April 28

 

Skip Hire

 

This is about as urban as I get, at least recently. I think I am more of a rural sketcher than anything and then I can't resist adding a bit of colour, but as this skip appeared on my neighbour's drive recently I thought I may as well draw it.

April 10

 

Entrance to the Dragonfly maze.

 

I walk past this most days but never really considered it for a sketch before. It must just have been the way the light hit it today. If the weather holds I want to go back and do a larger painting of this.

April 6

 

April 6th

Perfect drying weather !

April 5

 

Home improvements

 

I don't suppose anyone will guess what we have been up to today?

Out of Fuel

 

Out of fuel

watercolour on paper

18 x 12 inches

(24 x 18 inches mounted)

 

Another piece of nostalgia from the "Vintage and Veteran" series. It doesn't seem that long ago since these pumps were on every forecourt and someone came out of the garage to serve you !!

Nostalgia

 

Castrol Cans

watercolour on paper

8.75 x x12.75 inches

(14 x 18 inches mounted)

 

Visited my local Motor Museum earlier in the week and was bowled over by the amount of things displayed in a small area. There might be a series of paintings in the pipeline as a result...