Watching The River Flow.

"No man ever steps in the same river twice" - Heraclitus

This is a scene that I have painted before. This version is different (no stepping into the same river twice), and much bigger than the previous version. It's Cod Beck in Thirsk.

Cod Beck is the only place where I have seen lampreys. Being migratory, they must have made their way from the North Sea up a series of rivers including the Humber, from Hull; the Ouse, through York; the Ure from Cuddy Shaw Reach to near Myton, where they picked up the Swale to Topcliffe. At this point they turned into Cod Beck at Topcliffe and followed it to Thirsk. That's quite a journey for a fish. They've been around, largely unchanged for millions of years.

So I've seen lampreys, otters, deer, and most other things. Just need to see a live badger now.

This painting is a return to landscape. The canvas is a little narrow for what I wanted, although it looked okay in the shop. I found it quite restrictive. I initially decided to make a feature of the sky in the way that I painted it. I want lots of mark-making and dribbled paint. It hasn't quite gone according to plan on that score yet, but it isn't finished so we'll see where it goes. At the moment I am thinking of adding a pair of wheeling buzzards into the sky. That puts me in mind of Kurt Jackson, and one of his 'Field' paintings. I'll give it some thought before I do it.

 Blocking in. I love this stage; it's probably the most exciting bit.

 Drawing some of the shapes with a finger wrapped in a rag.

 Scrubbling in colours,

 Starting to refine the shapes.

 And a little more...

 ........

 &  little more..

I think the sky need to get messier, and maybe a couple of buzzards wheeling?
Ok. Let it sit for a while and think about the sky and those buzzards..

 Ok. No major changes. Just a few highlights on the water, in the left foreground, and a little lightening of tone in places in the sky.
Oh, and a pair of buzzards wheeling.

(detail)
I will probably work into the bids a little, but for the sake of this posting, it's done.
Sticking with the Dylan influence, I've changed the title to:

Freewheelin'

If I had wings and I could fly,

I know where I would go.

But right now I'l just sit here so contentedly

And watch the river flow.

 - Bob Dylan