Some Willows and a Wren

This is my last Feb post and next month I will have to concentrate more on idea for the Residency.
With this on my mind on Monday, in a bitter wind I went for a short walk on the muddy reservoir shore. It was my first visit since late November.

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The reservoir is still very low which exposes thousands of shelly, fossily things which have washed out of the Blue Oxford clay. There are silvery fresh water mussel shells and bits of mud encrusted rubbish. All of which I find completely fascinating.

But my purpose was really to look at the willows. With the water so low the roots are exposed and of course the branches are bare. This time of year is wonderful for seeing the structure of trees.

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One of the willows by Tern rocks

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Looking East to a stand of willows on the shore, a favourite haunt of rooks in the summer. I only made a couple of sketches, it was so very cold.

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Rook willows: I am standing where the water usually is. At the right hand side there is an old fallen willow where new branches are growing up from the fallen trunk.

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Scrubby willow branches, which grow up from fallen branches. Large blocks of stone mark the edge of the reservoir and the normal water level.

Willow Twigs and the Tiny Wren.

I know there are several willow species round the reservoir but I am not sufficiently sure of the species yet to be confident in naming them. I am guessing there will be both white willow Salix alba and crack willow Salix fragilis.
But I do know there is Goat Willow, Salix caprea, because this is our lovely Pussy willow. I found some and brought a couple of branches back. I put them in an old indoor watering can which I had bought for my mother many years ago.

I put the can by the French window where I hope they will blossom over the next few weeks.There are some other willow branches as well. The Pussy Willow twigs are more robust with the lovely silky buds.  The window looks out on the paving where the tiny wren has been very busy for the last few days, little stubby tail up in the air pecking between the paving slabs looking for insects.

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Mum’s blue can with willow twigs and wren. She would have really liked this sketch :).

Seven More Feb Sketches & some Good News!

I am putting together a few sample “books’” to show on Sunday at Barnesdale for the Illustrated Garden Workshops. They are a bit rough and ready but more about ideas than anything else. Here are more of of my sketches for the  “What I saw in February”  book. They are also my daily drawing practice. They are fun to do.

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Old chard leaves gives some colour in the snowy garden. Birds are tossed on the sleety cold wind.

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Vincas are flowering by the front door and fieldfares paid us a visit in the snow.

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The wood pigeon pecks about under the birdfeeder, it sometimes rains seed from above and there was a slender waning moon the other night

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And snowdrops, not mine but from Easton last year.. I will be there next week for the first time this year, for the snowdrop celebration and to meet up with the group.  I can’t wait to get started again.

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The full set, 14 pages, and made into a swatch book.

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Good News! Artist in Residence, Grafham Water

It’s always very nice to announce something on an auspicious day and what better day then Valentine’s Day. Starting officially in April, I will be “Artist in Residence” at Grafham Water for a year.
A wonderful chance to do a body of work about this lovely area, hold painting and drawing workshops and get to know much more of the ins and outs of the reservoir and its surroundings. I will be keeping another blog to record progress…and… Ta da!… resurrecting Leaf of the Day”.

I had decorated this paper today as cover paper for one of the books and decided to add a lino cut of 2 willow leaves in celebration and in eager anticipation of more leafy images. I loved doing the Leaf of the Day posts back in 2008. I look back and can’t quite believe I drew and researched so many plants.

This time they will be a variety of techniques as I learn to become a hopefully competent printmaker and instead of the steamy paths of Leu Gardens in Florida, will be a record of cool leafy woodlands of middle England. I may not find anything as exotic as the dancing Telegraph Plant or the Midnight Horror Tree but it will be just as fascinating. So here as a prelude are two leaves of the lovely willows which line the water of the reservoir.

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Willow, #1 Leaf, Grafham 14th Feb 2013   More about the project next week…:)

Cold Reservoir Sketches

Over the last week I made a few charcoal sketches of the wintery reservoir. Although I can’t get out much yet, I had taken photos of the snowy landscapes last year and Chris had been out in January with his camera.

I know this shore line like the back of my hand now and I have a bank of knowledge and familiarity to draw on, so these sketches are as much about memory as they are about fact.

I love charcoal. I wish it was taken more seriously as a valuable drawing medium. The marks can vary from softest smudge to sharp black and fluid lines. It can be worked into with erasers, fingers and paper stumps..wonderful. In our garish, colour obsessed world, monochrome images sometimes seem like a sigh of relief.

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The reservoir is very low at the moment, deliberately so I think. There are wide beaches, full of pebbles and fossily bits and pieces.

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And the bank erosion is more obvious.

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Looking east from the reservoir towards the village.

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Over the back looking towards Spaldwick there is a roll to the land. I have seen the red kite there.

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The shoreline plus sketched in coot. I do like these comical birds. I am hoping to make some work about the local birds later in the year.

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One of the fallen trees by the water.. it sends new shoots up still and is close to where I saw the stoat last year.

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Back on the lane looking south towards the reservoir, tangles of brambles and the ever present flocks of birds

Small charcoals 9 x12 inches, the large one 15 x 22. Materials: willow charcoal, plastic eraser and fingers :)..

Colour Sketches

Not much on the drawing board this week but lots of plotting and planning, ideas and inspirations for the next couple of months. I have only managed  three walks and was thinking mostly about the next workshop at Easton which is next Sunday 25th and our last meeting this year.

Three-Colour Landscapes We will be talking about limited palettes and how to create a simple painting from sketch. So I walked up to the Visitor Centre again and made this quick three colour note of the spinney.

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This sketch is 5 x 8 inches.

It’s just 3 primaries winsor blue (green shade), winsor red and winsor yellow. I added some rooks who love to hang around the VC at this time of year, hopeful for scraps.

There is not much green around now so I was careful not to lay the blue over the yellow too much. It was very cold and the paint took a long time to dry which always means I worked over too soon and got duller colours. My numb fingers also dropped the brush onto it …sigh.
I do struggle with watercolour drying times for quick sketching.

I should have taken the gouache. I have made quite a few sketches and notes of this spinney, only because it’s a nice place to sit with a cup of tea. (see previous notes) but it makes a good subject for a simple painting.

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These are from earlier in the summer when there were more leaves, a picnic and a strong wind.

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This one from a couple of weeks ago.. less leaves.. and fisherman. Back home I took a slightly bigger sketchbook (10 x 7 inches) and made a small painting.  Again with the same colours but the blue is w. blue (red shade), to get a nicer purple mix.
I did wait for the paint to dry this time.

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Stage 1: first washes.

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Stage 2: adding the darker tones.

I have just realised I forgot the rooks!

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Its easy to forget how effective just these three colours can be.

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Later in the week, a few more limited palette notes (just 3 colours in each case) from the other few chilly walks this week.

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Its a great exercise for playing with just a few colours and seeing what happens…. hopefully more next week.

Week 12.. and counting

This weeks sketches were done in a slightly bigger sketchbook, A4.. Wednesday afternoon: Easton, cold wind and sunny spells. By the time I arrived the sun was already quite low, casting long shadows, but it was very cold in the wind.

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Friday: Cold and windy. A local building.

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Saturday: blustery and grey

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The view over to Ellington

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Sam’s Sheds

Sunday: Sunny and cold.
In the morning we cycled round the reservoir, and returned caked with mud. I walked out later at dusk. The sunset was beautiful. Far too magnificent for my slender skills.

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I walked up to the old railway bridge and looked down at the muddy path, a string of sky-lit puddles and a man with his dog. I only made a few lines and notes while I was there,  then added some more tones and the little sketch to the right at home. I liked the portrait format for this image. Next week…..colour…..

Week 10 notes. Grey days and a Colour filled Easton Workshop

Last week was full with 3 days away, another great workshop with my group at Easton Walled Gardens and not very much drawing board time. The miserable weather and dark mornings made walks a bit more sporadic but I still managed a few, with related sketches. For the first few days of the week everything was grey and misty; land, water and sky merging into one. Trees, people and birds reduced to featureless darker shapes. Its quite beautiful really.

Monday: I walked up to the Visitor Centre to draw these trees. I will be teaching a “How to develop a sketch” workshop soon and this is a scene I have drawn and painted before.  It also means I can have a cup of tea while sketching!

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I wanted to look at outlines as well as tone.  The trees are losing their leaves fast now. A double spread with a thick pen.

Tuesday:  cold fishermen on a cold grey day

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Wednesday: I had to go St Neots way and have always liked the power Little Barford  power station towers. A quick sketch on another grey day with low clouds

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Thursday: A very hardy early fisherman on a very still grey misty morning. Even the ducks were motionless and looked glued to the water.

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Later …..Joe’s pumpkins

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Friday: Easton Workshop Day We had another great workshop all about recording material from the garden and colour. In preparation I had played around with some gelatine printing with leaves from the garden here. Many, many possibilities are revealed through playing and experimenting and allowing accidents to happen. Thanks to all for another inspirational day.

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Sunday: Little Paxton walk. A chilly walk mid morning and a sketch of part of the nicely woven fence..with a living willow post. It reminded me of my time in Costa Rica where branches of the accommodating gumbo limbo tree can just be stuck in the ground to form wonderful living fences.

There was a gumbo limbo tree at Leu.

See my post Gumbo Limbo and Peeling Tourists.

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My drawing of the gumbo limbo twiglet with leaves. Earlier this year I used a weigela pruning as a pea stick. It grew happily.. rather better than the peas in fact..

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The living willow post Paxton Pits. All sketches pen and ink in an A5 cartridge sketchbook. ( I have run out of spiral bound ones so used a gummed block. The pages are already falling out…v annoying!) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you are wondering why I am numbering the weeks it’s because I am on countdown to a small operation which will have me on crutches for quite a while.

I am dreading the confinement but will hopefully be skipping, rather than hobbling, round the countryside again. Week 16 will be my last walking week.
Meanwhile I am out as much as possible!

Week 9: Six Sketches of Sweet Southdown Sheep

A busy week with 3 days away, a really lovely afternoon workshop here at the Church with the local art group and a frustratingly non productive printing day, which I will blog about later.  It’s all a learning process and sometimes experiments just don’t work but hopefully it won’t turn out too badly in the end.

So this week I just made six quick sketches of the sheep that live down the lane. They are delightful little Southdown sheep, compact and neat with close wool, and teddy bear faces. I see them almost daily and I look forward to seeing the spring lambs.

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The farmer sometimes writes about them in our village magazine. I wonder if he will recognise any of them..
“Ah there is Maisie! .. Oh look!  That’s a nice sketch of Blossom”
I would be super impressed if he did!

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I was drawing this one when I noticed I was very close to a wasp’s nest. The wasps were very busy.

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When they are close to the fence there are soft, tugging, tearing and chewing sounds. It’s very soothing.

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The rooks like to sit on their backs and sometimes perch on their heads.  The fields are slightly higher than the road so you usually see them through a screen of roadside grasses, twigs and, now dying, nettles.

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They seem very happy and contented sheep. They have the company of a couple of fine rams at the moment.

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I intend to do one very beautiful detailed drawing soon. Sketches with pen and white paint on A5 kraft paper.

Week 8 Visual Notes

I missed a couple of days walking this week, due to early starts and full days.  It’s so much darker and colder now. When I started in August, dawn was at 4.50 am, now it is 6.50 am. Walking time is compressed and has to be shared with others. Dog walkers, children running for the school bus, people leaving for work and the odd early cyclist. Sometimes, now, I walk a little later.

MON 8th

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The electricity pole on Caravan walk. I was thinking about pattern and thought how its shape was so similar to dead heads of the cow parsley. The rooks love this pole.

TUES 9th,   Barnesdale Sketching

WED 10th

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A later evening walk with the sun in the west. The aeration tower on the reservoir is backlit, almost like a lighthouse. A small boat has pulled up beside it.

THURS 11th

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A fallen tree by the water. It’s dark here and the bare ground is covered with fallen leaves.

SAT 13th

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Up on the top field, high on the plateau above the reservoir, there must be a heavy clay outcrop. Standing water lies in the ruts of the plough.

SUNDAY 14th

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A brilliantly sunny but cold day. An early walk and the resident small flock of geese were  feeding by the waters edge.

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Later having a coffee at the Visitor Centre, a hopeful spaniel watches the plates being emptied at a nearby table.
We did not stay long enough to see if his patience was rewarded. 🙂

Week 5 Visual Notes

Some colour.. well just a bit…I thought I would try to make a quick gouache colour note every day, based on the B/W sketches and my notes. MONDAY: the morning drizzle turned into heavy rain

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My early washed out sketch, it says “4 cormorants take off in this grey scene, it’s raining harder. 7.50 am”

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Later the gouache sketch from notes.. black ducks and white seagulls, the horizon lost in mist. Looking west.

TUESDAY: A beautiful morning after the heavy rain.

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I sketched a big anvil shaped cloud on the horizon over Perry. Two whiter than white swans flew across the lake surface.

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The gouache sketch later from my notes. I forgot the swans!

WED: Nice early but the rain started soon after I left the house. No early morning sketch but later it cleared and I walked up past the water tower

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Looking east from the road. Some rooks on the stubble.

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Colour notes

THURS: Light in the wood

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The gouache colour note.

I have been thinking about printing today so the colours are a bit blocky.

FRI: A slightly longer walk.

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Gouache colour note, silvery green grey willows are so beautiful in the wind.

SUND: A cold breezy morning. Our small inland sea has waves today.

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and another small oil sketch based on Friday’s sketch…just to keep practising.

Tomorrow I am hoping to do another Sketchbook in a Day…:)

Week 4 Visual Notes

The sketches from last week…and a bit of a mixed monochrome bag. There are some pens and inks and some tonal sketches because, at long last, I have decided to try a few oil paintings. I made a few unsuccessful attempts in the past but after being both inspired and encouraged by my friend Brenda, queen of plein air and my friend Denise queen of fabulous feline paintings I have finally got going..well almost.

I’m starting at the beginning by looking at tonal sketches. It’s something I do anyway, for my watercolour and design work, but have slipped into undisciplined and haphazard bad habits, skipping steps and doodling on the back of envelopes.

This time I am trying to knuckle down and do things properly.. so on Monday I left my much loved pen behind and I took gouache with me.  I am using gouache as a half way house between the pen and oils. It dries quickly so no problem with smudging. Again they are quick studies on 5 x 7 card, although I have left it a bit late in the year to start my plein air adventures. Typical!

MON Sept 17th

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Brampton Wood tree.

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The giant humbugs down the lane. Rolls of silage (?) wrapped in green and black striped plastic.

TUES Sept 18th


Lots of pen sketches for images see Burghley Sketching post.

WED Sept 19th

A disused farm building down the road,  20 mins

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The Church yard, just 15 mins because it started raining and gouache is not good in the rain.

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It’s sometimes hard to get across the importance and fun of tonal sketches..The mention of them can generate yawns.. I wonder why .. I really enjoy doing them. They do tend to become rather formal because you are looking for bigger shapes of tone, but it’s such good practise for seeing the lights and the darks.

THURS Sept 20th

On a busy day it’s back to the sketchbook and 2 very quick sketches on a short very early walk.

10 min sketches

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Crows on crow tree.

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A surprise of cormorants and gulls who flew up from the hidden shore line, it was grey and still dusky over Perry at 7.15 am.

FRI Sept 21st

An equally busy day but on my quick morning walk I had seen this wonderful long tree trunk so later I cycled up to the Visitor Centre to draw it.  I spent a blissful half hour sitting on the grass listening to the birds and squirrels. It rained a bit but was well worth the trouble.

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The long, pine branch was like some strange giant millipede creeping towards the wood.

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A bunch of rooks were on the field by Church Hill. I love rooks and am planning a linocut soon, so need to do some more rook drawing.

SAT Sept 22nd

This is something of a breakthrough day for me. My first ever plein air work in oils. I know, it’s only 2 little sketches but it’s a start.  It seemed an awful lot of faffing about to get the stuff organised but it was such a beautiful day that it was now or never. I cycled up to the spot where I was yesterday and made two quick (20 mins each) sketches of the tree line, then turned round to face the water.

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After the gouache I am finding it slippery and smeary and that it mixes too easily. But I guess if I can persevere I may improve.

These are small, 5 x 7 sketches on card primed with acrylic.

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The dark dark wood on a sunny day

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Looking towards the water with a few people, a boat and a buoy.

SUN Sept 23rd

Two more small oils. I had sketched the first one in yesterday because of impending rain, which sure enough has arrived.

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The lane to the reservoir.

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Sky, from the water looking east, water tower to the left. Early Sunday morning. Fab sweep of white cloud before rain arrived. I am not sure how or if these will develop but I will do some more.. after all, I have bought the wretched paints now 🙂
I have really enjoyed doing them. They are not perhaps the compositions or subjects which I normally choose… maybe a little too formal for me…but they are just as I saw them.

Sunday Stoat

Earlier in the morning on my cold grey 7.50 am walk, when I thought it was all going to be uninspiring, I saw a stoat ( or weasel?). I am not sure who was more astonished.

Both of us were transfixed for a few seconds. It was utterly charming. I was standing still looking out over the water and it popped its head above the rocks, disappeared,  then like magic reappeared from behind another stone. It peeped out sideways from behind a small bush before scampering away. I willed my slow camera to snap just one picture.

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Sunday Stoat, Grafham Water Shore