John Geekie Art: Sprinting to capture summer straw stacks

Monday, 23 September 2024

Sprinting to capture summer straw stacks

Now then, here are some things for you to try, you could choose a topic and get out there to realise it.

I wanted to share this with you as an idea. I saw some bargain priced canvas boards and decided to buy some. Also a permanent fine marker ( Sharpie ). The intention being to go up and sketch direct onto the canvas boards using the marker. It tends to concentrate the mind somewhat. Returning home I applied some Michael Harding semi transparent ground which allowed the drawn lines to show through. Then I used some Professional Winsor and Newton acrylic paints to add colour. This method allowed me to work quickly and perhaps, with less detail. The final work has a value. though I will still work plein air when possible. The notion of painting stacks before they disappeared is an idea sparked off by L and L respectively from Canada and Japan, both of whom I gave one to one tuition in plein air painting.

Interesting to chat with farmers about stacking and the different sizes of bale. Mostly they are 2.4m ( 8’) long though their section varies. The Etton stacks are a mixture of 4x3 and 4x4 which made the seem illogical when sketching until I realised. in a previous post I painted the huge stack at Minningdale which was comprised 4x4 bales and built using a bale chaser. One farmer I talked to said his farm could’nt warrant the expenditure of a bale chaser though the farmers each side of him each had one. He also explained that he could manage seven bales high with a tele-handler but that his barn could only house six high.

The Huggate bales are circular, approx. At least 4 feet diameter, possibly 5 feet, will check and amend.

So the next time you see a stack of bales, stop, and really look at them. They are built when the weather is dry, so if it rains the straw cannot be baled. Consider how high, long and wide. Find out what is a Heston bale.