Today (Monday) was my second fill-a-sketchbook-in-a day attempt. The idea is to fill a small 12 page sketchbook in a day which encourages you to work quickly,
The first one was at Burghley House a couple of weeks ago. This time I wondered where I could go to draw which had some shelter and plenty of inspiration. We have a pretty small Church here. All Saints.
I have been bee-spotting and drawing in the flower rich and nicely overgrown church yard, admired its simple beamed interior and loved the small carved corbels, decorated with faces and strange beasts from a time long ago. In its oldest parts it is about 800 years old, it is small, intimate and quiet, a typical village church.
So that’s where I have been today. I did manage the 12, easier this time with an earlier start. I used watercolours for a few and tore out the pages of the sketchbook to let them dry. They took about half an hour each. I started at 9.30, came home at 4. Then finished the last two sketches at home.
The needle point spire is visible from many parts of the village.
A north door with two small faces.
Inside I could sit on a pew and attempt part of the simple interior. I liked the black hand crafted ancient beams and the two high south facing windows. The sun streamed in, lighting the dancing dust particles.
The cracked and crooked arch. This little church is splitting and shifting, nothing is straight or square and nothing quite follows the rigid rules of perspective.
Another long black beam with black light fitting underneath
Two of the heads from the interior. I am wondering just what they may have seen here over the centuries. Years of plenty, famine, plague and civil war. If they could speak what would they tell me. The one on the left is, I think, a lady, she has very, very tiny arms.
Later in the day I went outside.
Piles of old rooftiles at the back of the church. A north facing buttress leans away from the main building.
Here lies Joseph Smith, under a glorious spreading tree
The rubbish bin, compost heap and trees on the south border. I came back home at 4 to get the chicken in the pot for tea and to draw these final two.
The holm oak with its curious little acorn. It was specially planted in the Church yard but I can’t remember why now.
Amongst the many trees which line the boundary of the Churchyard are a sycamore and a chestnut tree, so a conker shell and a few winged sycamore seeds. A good day.
I have a million more ideas and it was easier than Burghley with a bit more time and somewhere indoors to work.
Sitting in the sunlit church, contemplating life and art and accompanied by the soft twittering of birds and gentle rhythmic chewing of a million woodworm, was just lovely.
