Up and down dale.

October on High Peak   Oils on gessoed 140lb watercolour paper  4 x 6 inches   ON HOLD

A walking holiday in Derbyshire 12 years ago...and my memories of this place are still fond.

I have painted this scene many times but this is the first time on paper.  I enjoyed it as the paper's texture is a delight to work on.  The day was stormy with turbulent skies but when the sun broke through it was like a streak of gold on the distant field. 

 Fortunately I had my camera with me to record the moment.

However...for the many times I don't have my camera I have learned to 'burn and store' the landscape into my memory by standing and looking.  Winter is great for mentally storing the landscape.  For example, trees are more shapely without leaves and skies are full of texture with colourful greys.  Sunlight brings out the colours on branches and shadows are longer.

  This method is very useful when a painting is not working how I want it to be.  Rather than letting it get me down I go into 'auto-mode' and draw on my stored information allowing the painting to evolve...abstracting, and making expressive marks.    I am aiming for an atmospheric rather than a photographic representation of the scene.