Oil Pastel Progress

Across the River WIP

(Oil pastels on grey mount board, 11 x 11 in)

Looking at this oil pastel I see that some progress was made on it last week before I was taken away by other duties. Not a lot, I admit, but there's some added subtlety in the water and a few more silver birch have grown up across the river. 

One of the problems I found was in dealing with the wood itself. I simply don't have enough dark pastels to get the interior of the wood as dark as I'd like. Dark green, dark blue and black aren't sufficient. I may have to buy a few more if I want to get this picture to where it should be.

Dales Diary - Wednesday 28 April (am)

Ravine (4B pencil in A4 sketchbook)

We'd been promised heavy rained for Wednesday, but by the time the day rolled round the bad weather had moved away, so Roly and I went for a short drive to check out the far end of the valley and on into Wharfedale. Just beyond Buckden, we topped a rise and on the way down the other side, came across this ravine with a not very energetic waterfall in it.

It was a delight to sit in the sunshine and struggle with the problem of capturing streams and trickles of water falling in the recesses of the ravine.

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.

Trees & Water

Trees & Water - 1st stage

As part of an attempt to revitalise the Art Club and generate greater membership involvement in the wake of The Secretary Fiasco, there's now an on-going themed competition at the Club.

Last month we were invited to put up a still-life painting and members were encouraged to vote on the "best". I think there was a bottle of wine involved, not least in several of the entries. I didn't bother putting anything on the wall, but this month the subject chosen is "Trees and Water."

I wanted to see if I could get anything out of the many photographs I took on the recent trip to The Lakes and an off-cut piece of MDF winked at me and flaunted its interesting shape (it's actually a double square). So here's today's beginning. Inevitably, I find the greens worrying, but overall I'm quite pleased with the way it's going.

More work, especially on the trees, tomorrow.