some more of April

From this perspective (writing at the beginning of May, and the weather still distinctly chilly) the whole of April seems to have been cold – but that’s not quite true, there has been sun, and some days when I felt over-dressed out walking and had to remove a layer. The sun makes such a huge difference at this time of year, it’s so much stronger. It warms my house up several degrees.

I’m still having fun with Hipstamatic. This photo of one of the fish trap posts on the Eden estuary reminds me very much of a painting from 2021, a complete happenstance. You can see it here

This on a beach walk that was not too cold, and Bims without a coat on found a stinky patch of marram and sand where a dead porpoise had started to decay. She rolled in it several times and was doing headstands in her enthusiasm. An extremely pleasurable activity for dogs – she was in ecstasy – resulting in a less pleasurable experience – a bath.

These posts have taken on a life of their own, gnarled, or covered in seaweed. I can’t find any information about when they were last used, or how they were used, but my assumption is that they were for catching migrating salmon when these were present in much large numbers than in the present day.

further up the Eden, around Cupar there are fish to be caught, and otters and kingfishers to catch them, and anglers with the right permit can occasionally be seen, like the fly fisherman I mentioned in my last post.

I haven’t yet worked out if there is a painting to be made around this,

but as I took this photo there were a pair of grey wagtails, as above, on the river bank,  wagging their tails and finding insects around the brambles and grass at the edge of the water.

The riverside walking has just been largely ruined as not only has the farmer ploughed up all of the water-meadow, but he’s cut right into the path so it’s only single file, and has cultivated far too close to the river bank, I am sure.

Back to painting concerns, on Easter Sunday we walked around Falkland, which has woods and burn-side paths and hedges and fields. I snapped a few distant shots of this pair, mother and daughter I presume, with their sticks, and they caught my imagination.

several watercolours in sketchbooks to get the feel of things

I am searching through old photos in my photo library for similar captures when walking with Lucy and Scott, but this was a piece of luck.

treatment of trees.

a different couple walking on the ceres Moor path

It’s taken me a couple of weeks to finish, but this was the start – linen gessoed on the canvas, and a pink wash/glaze to get things going.

I am finding the easel really helps, having it at an angle and  the easily adjustable height, is so much better for my neck.

a selection of collage bits and pieces to break things up

The actual photo I am working from is too seductive, that’s the trouble –

and the nice little figures get too sweet …

on the table, trying not to be precious about anything –

covering up  – though this paper was nice and transparent when wet, but dry it was a bit too opaque.

despite my chucking paint about, the trees look artificial and too realist at the same time.

feeling a bit stuck because it’s all nice close up but from a bit more distance it’s too bright and pretty.

So it  was on hold while I did other things – went to Edinburgh and saw this at the Open Eye – Susie Leiper “On High Hills”, rather beautiful paintings, a little minimal –

very un-minimal John Bellany

gorgeously lush abstracts by the Cornish painter David Mankind at the & gallery

with all their expressive mark-making –

vanitas works by Morwenna Morrison at Arusha –

and Alison MacWhirter’s beautiful colourist paintings on the theme of blue at Proudfoot.

It seems that B is fairly untroubled by being left for four hours while I do my speeding around Edinburgh galleries ….

April has also been busy with writing –

A 30 day challenge on the Greek gods and myths …

I started a smaller canvas (60 x 60 cm) and then got completely stuck, it already seemed to be working!

collage can be like that –

and did a bit of sabotage on the mother and daughter painting, which as it was slow drying glazing medium meant it was several days before anything else could happen.

though I also did this

and this, which I think work.

with Open Studios coming up I realised I needed a new card,

especially after a visit to an exhibition in Pittenweem (Kate Downie and Dorothy Black) when I didn’t have a card to give several interesting people I met.