Yellow Loosestrife

A very hot and sunny day and the shadows were strong when I painted this plant. For convenience, I picked the flower and put it in a small glass vase. The wind lept movng it and finally blew it over breaking the glass. I carried on painting as the flowers rapidly wilted! So much easier with a camera.

Earlier, I cycled to Hatfield Forest along the Flitch Way. It was good to see Geoff again and also Jackie, but she looked pale and I hope she is not ill again.

Painting Nature

Are my paintings improving? They still seem heavy handed and laboured, but at least I am painting from nature and not copying photographs. I went back to my favourite artists and looked at the books by Edith Holden, Janet Marsh and Benjamin Perkins. Such accuracy, detail and colour! I could never aspire to such work.

Onions

I tried to quickly draw birds on the move, but failed. I am just not quick or confident enough. So I sought refuge in these sprouting onions. I do like the pen and wash technique, but this scan is not very accurate and some of the colour gradations have been lost.

Drawing

So far, I am keeping up with my intention of drawing every day. My work is still laboured and lacks the freshness that I admire elsewhere. I am still falling into the trap of overworking and putting in too much detail. The rusty pump is heavier than I would like and the phlomis flowers are reasonable, but the leaves are mucky and do not show the light shining through them as they should.

The garden has been so dry lately and beginning to suffer even though this year's flowers are brilliant and the best ever. Windy today, and some damage to plants, but now we have a heavy shower that should give them a much need drink.

Recently, I read two books by Michael Williams describing journeys by slow trains across Britain. Wonderful, evocative books and I must seek out some of the slow branch railways myself. At present, I feel duty bound to keep Tegan company as she is very old and feeble and will not be with me much longer. Perhaps I should have her put to sleep, but it will break my heart.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

The words of WH Davies ring true still and this Blog is all about stopping to stand and stare. We live in a crazy world of rush and noise where silence is hard to find and seldom sought. Most people seem to fear silence and seek to fill every moment with noise. This is a place to watch and reflect.

It does seem odd to be starting a journal at the end of May, but that is where we are now. So a brief look at the early part of the year may put things in context.

January was cold. So cold that we had record temperatures of -12 in the garden. Snow lingered long and we were visited by numerous redwings and fieldfares from Scandinavia. Then the cold gave way to heat and during April and May hardly a drop of rain fell. Garden and wild flowers have reacted well with incredible displays. A record breaking hot summer is forecast.

In an attempt to slow down, I have not used my car for months. I walk, cycle and take the train instead and feel so much better for it. I cycled all the way to Braintree along the Flitch Way - a disused railway track. Then I cycled along the towpath of the Stort and Lea to Cheshunt. Soon, I shall finish that journey by taking the train to Cheshunt and then cycling on to Limehouse where the Lea flows into the Thames.

Train journeys can be exciting, adventurous and relaxing. Sometimes I go just for the ride and had a grand day in Bury St Edmunds after travelling along a delightful single track. A much longer journey was to Teeside to see my son, James. With changes at Cambridge, Peterborough and Darlington, I saw so much of the countryside and all for £25 by booking ahead. I intend to log future trips here.

Much of my time is spent on wildlife photography and my photos can be seen on Flickr. I do not intend to post many here. Instead, I shall use this blog to talk about my paintings and drawings. Having read books by Richard Bell, I have been tempted to take up pen and ink work. So one of my first pictures appears at the top of this page.