The Climbing Tree, Saltwell Park
(0.5 Micron marker in 21x26 cm sketchbook)
As a break from the normal session in the workroom of the Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead Art Society decided on an afternoon sketching in Saltwell Park.
Amazingly, after a morning shower, the weather decided to co-operate and half a dozen of us turned up in bright sunshine to make minor masterpieces in our individual ways. For good or ill, I opted for the very complicated "Climbing Tree". It's a very old yew tree whose branches have played host to generations of kids, and I speak from personal experience.
Part way through the drawing I realised the sun had moved round and was now shining directly into my one good eye. I should have brought a hat to shade my eyes, but in the absence of one, I went for a walk to see how others were doing.
Coming back to the tree about ten minutes later, the sun wasn't being any more helpful, so I moved position to work on the right hand side branches, ignoring the small boy now clambering over them. Eventually, however, I realised I'd done enough for the day and coffee called at the cafe in Saltwell Towers.
I walked home via the bird cages and listened for a while to the nice grey parrot in the end cage telling people to "F*ck Off!"
The tree still intrigues me and I plan on going back to work on the drawing some more, taking in the branches that will spread across the left hand page.
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2 comments:
I remember that tree. I'm surprised the H&S gremlins haven't removed it or fenced it off.
There was another near it, Ian, that had been recently cut down. I was leaning against the stump to draw this.
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