Looking towards Huggate, Yorkshire Wolds.

The period post Christmas, into the New Year can be a disjointed time.
Favourite venues close for 'house keeping' and routines are temporarily suspended. I am looking forward to the 17th January when the Pipe and Glass at South Dalton reopens, offering the post painting reward of a coffee. Today, still feeling the effects of a slight cold I set off for Castle Howard. It was to be the last day the House would be open until the spring. However, traveling alone without sharing the trip, and experience meant I changed my mind and meandered, checking out Kiplingcoates Station before moving on to Huggate. I passed many sites of previous paintings, checking as I passed to see if another visit at a different time of the year would warrant another painting. I remembered the many people, farmers, walker, horse riders to whom I chatted and still remember from last year making me feel a part of this now familiar landscape.
Having set up and started I felt the need of company and briefly shared a snippet of conversation with a friend who's plans had also changed...
I used a 24 x 18 inch deep edge canvas for this painting which meant it took a little longer to complete. The weather temperature was about 8 degrees yet it felt a lot colder as the damp air and wind at this altitude provided a chilling effect.
After finishing I visited the cheerful pub in the village and warmed myself up with a soup.