Country walk sketches near Warter.

Here are four quick sketches from a short walk near Warter. They are all 12x 10 inch, acrylic on canvas board. My process was simply to do short, ten minute maximum sketch’s using an indelible alcohol based marker directly on to the canvases. Then, while still fresh in my mind I coated them with a transparent Michael Harding ground working them up using acrylic paint.

These are really studies regarding using a marker pen and working very quickly.

I may refer to them when making larger work at some time.

I was with FSD and George, the weather amazingly too warm for this mid-September day.  We walked along the path above Deep Dale setting off from COBDALE Cottage. On our return we saw that Deep Dale was now occupied by a shoot. In the nearby hillsides and on the tops, red flags were being waved in order to move birds, to facilitate the shoot. When I sketched out the cottage I noticed three large ex-forces, people carrying wagons had parked on the grass verge. They were to ferry the beaters back to Warter, or perhaps another shoot location.

But I digress the intention for me was to develop this method of working, to reacquaint myself with acrylics and to capture the moment with more than one canvas….which sorta worked.

Looking north from COBDALE Cottage towards High Barn and Huggate.

COBDALE Cottage with people carriers beyond.

A break in the sweetcorn crop, just off the path.

Looking down into Well Dale, with the shoot out of sight.