Pasture Dale, near Millington, Yorkshire Wolds.

23rd June, 2020.

It had been a hot day and the cooler evening found me motoring over to South Dalton to walk George on lonely, quiet roads. I had my painting 'pochade box' with me and as the light was good, decided to drive to Warter. I checked out a couple of views to paint but was put off by the fencing that had been erected. The area is used for pheasant breeding and so access to the land is by invitation. So, seeing no one to ask, I decided to visit this place. It is a convenient place to park and access is via the Yorkshire Wolds Way path. Setting up down a steep slope above the Millington Road was a little precarious and required concentration and awareness.  I started painting to the calls of chiff chaff, and yellow hammers. A distant fluid curlew call made me smile as I imagined the wonderful bird. On the way here I had seen a red kite at Cobdale Farm and also, a little later, a buzzard lazily circling on dihedral, broad wings.

As I painted, small beetles seem to fall on the pochade box. They were interesting. About half and inch long, narrow encased wing body, rusty brown with two distinct sections. The narrow body and the head which was the same width as the body. Research tells me it is a Flour Beetle.

I heard the sound of a small agricultural 4x4 approaching and thoughtn it would be on the road behind me, however it suddenly was there, just above me heading for a gate. A young woman, a keen photographer came over, and we talked, at a safe distance. I asked about the fields and the crops and she told me about the types of cereal.... which I have now forgotten, except to remember, one of the crops, barley,  was grown for the production of whisky. So, belatedly, I now realise the significance of the beetle.

I painted on, the chiff chaff called it a day leaving a blackbird to accompany the yellow hammer.

Shadows became stronger as the evening sun moved across a cloudless sky and I quickly adjusted the painting.

The light coloured foreground grass contained a rich variety of plants, I could see yellow vetch, lots of small umbal headed plants - wild carrot, clover, buttercup,  and a rather unusual reddish short plant. It had clusters of tiny flowers, maybe 2mm across on short stems. I will endeavour to find out more about it. The dry grassland is worth another visit I think.

Oil on Canvas board.

£150

including basic frame.