Hewick Bridge, and ...Hewick Bridge.

I haven't posted, or painted, since the Open Studios in June. There are various reasons for this. Talking to Tim Murgatroyd at school shortly before we broke up, he said that he was not surprised; he also goes through periods when he doesn't write, because he doesn't have anything to say. This makes sense. I suppose you just run out of steam every now and again. I am starting to build up a head of steam again at the moment, and am preparing for our holiday in France. I always take my paints away, and I always paint when we are there, but we are usually in the car so taking the paints and easel is not a problem. This time we are flying so I am having to think carefully about how to manage the paints and equipment. When I paint outside I use either a French easel, if I am not going too far, or a pochade if I need to travel lighter (The term ‘Pochade’ is derived from the nineteenth century French verb Pocher meaning to sketch- more useless information. I read too much (is that even possible?)). They are both too big to go in my luggage, so I am making a smaller pochade, and have been scouring ebay for cigar boxes. They are too small, but I have bought an art box for £3, so I think I am now sorted...after I have tinkered with it a bit.

Anyway, the following paintings were done on days out at Hewick Bridge, just outside Ripon. Sara and I took Archie to swim in the river with a couple of his pals for the two weekends leading up to breaking up. It was good to break my 'fast', after not painting for so long, and good to play in the river. 

The bridge, just next to the racecourse and the gateway to Ripon.

 Early stages. Unusually for me I am painting straight onto a white surface. I usually lay a ground down.

This is where I realised that I find bridges difficult, that the hot weather is drying the paint too quickly, and the board isn't primed very well.

The finished painting. Probably destined to sit in a cupboard for eternity, but fun to do, and good to sweep away a few cobwebs!

Hewick Bridge (named after Copt Hewick....probably).

The following weekend we went back to Hewick Bridge, again to swim in the river, and again with the paints. This time I worked up a much smaller canvas (I don't usually do small), and given that I didn't want to leave Sara and the boys at the river, I again painted the bridge. The canvas in question is a small piece of cannibalized canvas off our old swing seat (see post: 2nd Sept' 2012).

It was a fantastic day, and the (already low) river level had dropped. I managed to catch a crayfish this time, though I dropped it when it nipped me, and nearly caught a couple of eels.

Here's the painting:

 Starting off.

 Blocking in.

 On-going.

 ..getting there.

In situ. 

The finished painting.

Hewick Bridge (still named after Copt Hewick...probably).