Above Huggate looking East towards Cow Dale and Rabbit Dale, Yorkshire Wolds.

The finished picture.

approx outline, subject to refinement.

Blocking in the values.

25th June 2020.

Above Huggate looking East, Yorkshire Wolds.

I decided to go straight back to the field where I saw the plant with the tiny red flowers a couple of days previously, with the intention of photographing them to make identification easier. I did not believe what I saw. The flowers had all gone and had turned to  reddish seedheads on the bare stems. Looking down the stem, near the ground, longish canoe shaped leaves were evident, though not many. Here are a couple of photos.

Beginning to wonder if I saw any flowers at all now.

The plant is Sheeps Sorrel, here is a good link....showing the flowers.

I took George for a walk along the Millington Road, thankfully it had many shaded spots to rest a hot dog, the plant life was awesome. Colonies of bright pink cranesbills, exuberantly covered the hillsides, and even pyramidal orchids could be seen. I was pleased to see two marbled whites feeding on the orhids, they took off as I approached and suddenly the air was filled with more of them.

Enough of this, getting back to the painting.

I set up by parking on a freshly cut grass verge in the shade of a large tree, and thankfully for George, a strong refreshing breeze. Here, I was over 200 metres above sea level and the air was wonderfully clear, the sky, as a couple of days ago was cloudless, As I started to study the scene and begin to outline the painting a farmer from Church Farm began to collect the cut verge grasses, which I had noticed were still greenish and would make good winter feed. Unfortunately he had to stop baling to inspect the baling machine. I went across to have a chat and before long we were both under the baling net trying to de-tangle twine caught up in the rollers. It was important to get the baling done as a storm was forecast which would stop any chance of getting it collected. A call to a service department proved unsuccessful and we continued removing small amounts of twine before I suggested he should return to his farm where he had more tools to strip it down. So off he went, hopefully to get it fixed. The wrapping conveyor belt may have been part of the problem, but as he said, that would have cost £1800, so he was hoping it could cope.

I outlined the painting,

Then blocked it in

Before finessing it,

Finally,

Adding

The touch of my

Dream,

White,

Loudly trumpeting,

Entwining,

Convolvulus.

A Wolds summer

search light.

I had been listening to Max Richter being interviewed and remembered being disappointed to miss the all night radio 3 version of Sleep. So I purchased it, and listened as I painted. It was so compelling the painting took longer to complete than I expected. Passing through Huggate I saw a roadside table, outside Belinda Hazlerigg's studio, I stopped and bought two of her beautiful cards.

Hope you like it.

Oil on canvas.

£175.