River Kyle; Tollerton

This is a scene that I have painted before. It's a view of the river Kyle, a small river (at 6 miles one of the smallest in the country) which flows through our village (Alne), on  through Tollerton and into Newton-on-Ouse, where it joins the river Ouse. Although some stretches are straight and featureless, the Kyle is really beautiful in parts, and quite wild. It is a small river but it does have fish in it; I have seen shoals of roach and dace, although you don't see them very often. Occasionally the Kyle has otters in it. Sara saw one in the village a couple of years ago, and I've seen foot prints. It bursts it's banks fairly regularly, including twice recently. After the first of these we drove past a heron every day for a week on our way to work, hunting fish in the flooded field next to the river, stranded after the river level had gone back down.
This is a painting of the flood plain; Tollerton Ings.

As usual I have put the painting on in stages. At the end I have included the first painting I made of this scene. It's a bigger painting, done a couple of years ago, and is obviously in winter. 

It's good to see them side by side.

Blocking in. Reflecting on this approach, and questioning whether or not I should try starting in a different way has given me an idea for Year 8 work now that they have finished their clay masks. I'm thinking Japanese notan designs as paper-cuts.

 ..laying in the main colours...

..trying to establish the contrasts as a design. ..

..laying down some texture and more local colour.. 

..autumnal colours added. Finished.

River Kyle; Tollerton Ings.

The same view 2 years (?) earlier, in the winter.

River Kyle: Tollerton Ings.