Dales Diary - Monday 26 April

Tree Innards (0.5 Marker, 21 x 25 cm sketchbook)

High above The Rookery a limestone crag, or scar, runs along the top of the valley and in places is cut by waterfalls. Indeed, the whole of the valley is sliced by waterfalls of varying sizes and complexity. On Monday I set off up the path behind the house that leads to the nearest of the falls. There hadn't been much rain recently, so it certainly wasn't in full spate, but it was impressive and wide enough for me to not fancy trying to cross the rock pavement that lay where falls and path intersected.

As with most waterfalls, trees and shrubs clustered near the source of water and many of the trees there were old and gnarled from their struggle to find root space and from being battered by the wind. Because of their position, most were too awkward for me to draw, but this one, while it was impossible to open up my little folding stool, did allow me to stand in front of it and draw the convolutions of its bole. By the time I'd finished, my feet were numb and my fingers icy cold.