Merlin and a shadowed road where dragons fly and bloodsuckers crawl.....

7th July 2022.

We drove to see Merlin on a warm, sky blue day. "Leave it with me" he said, and so we did, and visited the pond near the Thixendale path, on the Painsthorpe Road.... in Fotherdale. I looked at the disappearing pond as the sun beat down. Sudden movements, seemingly erratic, were repeated as dragonflies aerially interacted over the remaining water. Flashes of blue bodies and dark thoraxes provided a spectacular display. Suddenly a winged union saw a blue body and, another differently coloured one, mate in the air. It was brief and I noticed the paler yellow partner fly down to the pond and bend its body so the rear kissed the water, I wondered if it was laying eggs ( Later I find out they were broad-bodied chasers) It soon became obvious that it was too hot, no shelter from the sun and we sought shade, which led us to the Fridaythorpe Road near Thixendale Gritts. I wondered over to a gate, a mare and foal came over. I brushed the foal and tickled his ears, he approved by leaning in to me as I rubbed. Both horses had smooth, soft, dark mouths which I tickled. I picked some fresh grass for the mother, then moved on, saying goodbye,  two beautiful creatures with intelligent dark eyes. However, the view from here was not for painting and I walked to another gate where grapevines could be seen in supported straight ranks. A hare sat in a linear shadow cast by the wired vines and enjoying the peace.

A movement startled me before I realized it was a self propelled automatic grass cutter. An Husqvarna robot, I think. It was amazing to watch as it bumped, reversed, realigned and continued, moving very quietly. It seemed to always turn left as it progressed but just when I thought this could be a problem, it suddenly turned right. It made me wonder if it automatically maps out its route? As I finished I added a suggestion of the low level, perhaps only 8 inches tall, cow parsley growing out of freshly cut grass. I looked at it closely, the delightful umbral head made of delicate tiny flowers. On one, I saw what, as a child, I would call a bloodsucker, a red elongated beetle about a half inch long. This was in fact the common red soldier beetle. It is indeed a feeder of other insects, mainly aphids, it was on the umbral head looking for them. As I painted lots of tiny spiders were airborn, travelling on silky threads. I looked along the road and noticed the cast shadows as well as the disappearing perspective. It was a little different, so here it is, hope you like it.

Oil on canvas board 14x10 inch, POA.

Just a reminder that my virtual exhibition, at the moment is

THE YORKSHIRE WOLDS