Mondaymonday : Saltwell Towers Garden

 

Saltwell Towers Garden

(markers in 21 x 26 cm sketchbook)

Because of the Lockdown, it's over a year since I was last out sketching with the Mondaymondaysketchers, so it was nice to return to Saltwell Park on Monday and meet up with them again. 

They'd settled down at a picnic table on the lawn opposite the Towers which didn't suit what I wanted to do, so after catching up, I wandered off to the little secluded garden by the side of the Towers. Taking a chance on seeing something interesting, I sat on a bench, opened my Saltwell Park Sketchbook, and looked around.

And this view caught my attention. It presented difficulties, in that I needed to find different marks for the various foliage - not something I'm well versed in - but I'm happy enough with what I achieved.

Mondaymonday : Turret near the Maze

 

Turret near the Maze

(Markers in 21x26 cm sketchbook)

Another fine day with Mondaymondaysketchers in Saltwell Park. That's a very busy corner and people came by quite often, not always respecting social distancing. My drawing was inspected by a woman and her grandson and not found wanting. Her grandson, of course, is a very good artist.

"Frying Pan"

 

"Frying Pan"

(markers in 21x26 cm sketchbook)

After such a long time in Covid-19 Lockdown, it was good to answer the call from Colin and get together with the Mondaymonday Sketchers in Saltwell Park today. I settled on some of the mock fortifications of Saltwell Towers and drew one of the turrets that I still think of as "Frying Pans" - what I called them when I was a boy.

Big Log

Big Log

(markers in 21 x 26 cm sketchbook)

For the first time in over three months I went for a walk to Saltwell Park today to meet up with the revived Mondaymondaysketchers. It was great to see someone face to face, other than Pat or the woman in Nisa. I was pleasantly surprised to find that although the Park was quite busy with families enjoying the sunshine, they all exercised social distancing, waiting at the beginning of narrow parts of the path while someone passed. Not a mask in sight, but outside in a park, I guess that's not a problem.

Towards the end of the sketching session, a rainy shower hung about a bit more than I liked and rather than sit with the others to eat my non-existent sandwiches, I suggested we cross to the bandstand area where there was shelter and Colin, at least, started to follow. Under the shelter I found I was on my own and when I went back to the Towers, everyone was gone. I suppose when it rains and you've done your drawing for the day, you might as well eat your sandwiches in the car and go home.

This is the fallen giant I drew in my Saltwell Park Sketchbook today. Not the side I'd planned to draw, but someone had taken a chainsaw to that side.

Saltwell Park, Evening

Saltwell Park, Evening

(acrylic on mountboard, 10x10 in.)

The Shipley Art Gallery said: "For this challenge we would like to see artwork of a place that you visit that has changed over time or since you last visited."

In my mind and from my memory, I went to Saltwell Park again and painted this evening scene. Today, I actually went to the park again for the first time in over three months and it didn't look like this.

This painting was based on another of my Second Year Special Project Saltwell Park Sketchbook drawings: