Took advantage of the early sun this morning and did some sketchbook things including this half page view. At least the mud around the gates is at last drying out in most places.
Moleskine watercolour sketchbook about 8×5 inches
Nothing very imaginative, but I haven’t been able to do much in my sketchbook recently, so it’s good to be back and at it. Just a scribble really to get things going again..
There was a moment this week when the wind and the rain paused long enough to actually enjoy being outside. This barn can be found on the Sherborne estate and was, according to a sign inside, built around 1860 and used for the storage of hay and straw as food and bedding for sheep during the winter months. Hence Ewe-pen. There are a few other buildings here which are just as interesting to paint, which would be nice to do if we ever have a summer…
Wow, it’s been longer than I thought since I last posted. No real reason for the delay, just been busy with classes restarting, craft fairs starting and fitting in some gardening between lots of rain. I took advantage of a brief sunny interlude to paint this in the hope that there will be many sunny days to come throughout the months ahead. If we keep believing that, it’s bound to happen, right?
The third beautiful day in a row. What’s gone wrong? Although I wasn’t able to get out until later than usual, I had time to do another entry in my 10 x 8″ Stillman & Birn Beta series softback sketchbook.
It was a most beautiful morning, one which could easily have been mistaken for summer. Certainly the warmest we have had so far this year. A clear blue sky, lovely sun and hardly any breeze. So still, and, on my walk at least, the only sound came from birds calling from the trees, and a bee which was determined to follow me for part of the way. I paused to sketch the Roundhouse from an angle I don’t think I have done in a while. I’m hoping the weather might be a sign of things to come – at least for a few days anyway.
A weekend spent in the garden preparing for what we all hope will be a good summer. It is tempting to start planting seedlings but we are still having frosty nights. Lovely to see the Bluebells starting to come out and loads of Forget-me-nots. Things are certainly on the move.
Some seeds are taking a long time to do what they are supposed to. I don’t know if it is the weather or the peat-free compost we all have to use. Does anyone actually like the stuff?
This morning I had time to paint in the garden while waiting for a delivery. I took the pots of tulips on the steps as my focus and grabbed the sun while it was there. It was lovely to feel some warmth at last. I used a lot of yellow ochre here, in the walls and steps and combined with cadmium scarlet for the pots. It is also in the foreground with some winsor violet. Such a versatile colour and especially useful in garden and landscape painting.
As the day wore on, the clouds rolled in and it became much chillier – and the delivery didn’t arrive until much later.
Well, we all know April can be capricious, but having spent yesterday pottering in the garden, thinking how lovely it was in the sun, I really did not think we would get up this morning to a blanket of snow. April showers, I suppose.
It is just as well I made a quick sketch as soon as I was able, as it had mostly disappeared by lunchtime. Proof once more that you should never put off a sketch until another time. The chances are it will never be the same.
As I came to the last page of my current sketchbook, I noticed that the small tulips, planted in a pot I painted a few weeks ago, were just starting to come through. What better way of ending one sketchbook before starting another ?
Coming back indoors, I heard the sad news of the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, two months before his 100th birthday. Truly the end of an era.
Graham Findlay Watercolours 