Here I have made the decision to make the foreground rocks a lot darker. This was quite a big deal for me. I will do this if I feel the composition is unbalanced. It’s always a risk, but sometimes has to be done. I will often change and move elements around.

More work on rocks and water. The foreground is  still light.

More colour and tone is being laid down. I’ve still got the rocks in the foreground as quite light at this stage.

Here’s the first stage of my little oil painting on daler board of the Church Pool Askham, on the river there. I’ve painted it over two daler boards, so the image will read over two surfaces when presented. I’m showing it as one image as the painting develops. Each daler board is A3 size. I’m laying down the underpainting colours to indicate the colours of stone and brackish water.

Here is the sketch I made on the spot at Church Pool Askham Cumbria England. I’m using it for the oil painting I’m making at the moment. I’ll share the stages when it’s complete. It’s a very special spot on the river where the brown trout rise. The cave on the opposite bank is dark and mysterious. I use pastels and pencils to stand and capture as much information as I can before I get too cold! I always get completely lost in the experience and time takes on a different quality. The water is deep and full of ochre and brown. The sun sparkled like diamonds on it’s surface. The piece I’m making at the moment is quite small. I may make a much larger piece from this. I’ll let you know!

I though you might like to have a bit of background on this piece. We went on holiday to Turkey when my youngest son was about eight months old at Easter 1989. I drew this crumbling doorway and took photos of it in the town near to where we were staying. I revisited the motif when I went on a printmaking course in the summer of that year at Preston Uni printmaking department. I really enjoyed drawing and painting on the metal plates prior to making the offset prints. I didn’t enjoy being hurried along by our tutor. She was Called Jane Campey and was an excellent teacher, but she knew if we spent too long on the drawing we’d never get a print, especially as the course was only for a week. The process dictates a lot of what is possible. I learnt a lot though, and was very happy with the results I got. Especially as I had tried to go on a lithography course once before when we lived down south, and quickly realised I was in the wrong place when a group of gents in suits emerged, it was a course for Industial lithography, a very different thing to the Fine Art version! Anyway, I got there in the end and would love to print again. Who knows what the future may bring. I really enjoy the half tones and textures which are just like drawing on other surfaces. Very exciting.