Sledmere is a small village in the midst of the delightful Yorkshire Wolds. The village is part of the Sledmere House estate. This magnificent country house and its extensive grounds are open to the public. There is a circular walk that takes in all the attractions of the estate and this is part of it. The woods are quite extensive and full of ancient trees. I like to paint old trees especially those situated in dense woodland. Because of the competition they have have to grow tall and straight to get the light they need. These are pretty impressive beeches, some of which must be over two hundred years old . There is nothing finer than a quiet stroll through these silent sentinels who have witnessed so many changes during their lifetime. There are lots of myths and legends surrounding trees so here's a question for you - why do trees lose their leaves in winter? You might think you know the answer but please check out these wise words.......we can all learn something from them!

I sold this painting today which of course, is always good for any painter - the best critic is the one who parts with his hard earned cash! I painted it during a workshop at the Orangery in Sewerby Hall. I knew that Merice had made a couple of small videos while we were doing the workshop and I wanted to find them to send to the buyer. With me so far? Good. I'm at an age where I soon get distracted so of course as soon as I began the search, I forgot what I was looking for. Some of you will know just what I am talking about..and if not..you will eventually!
Anyway, after a nice ramble round YouTube and a dip into my old photos I was left with a nice collection of memories themed round my spell as Artist in the Park at Sewerby Hall. This naturally led me to my time as Artist in Residence at Burton Agnes Hall. Don't I move in elevated circles - not bad for a kid from a council estate near Leeds. Have you heard the people who say they used to live in these grand houses in another life? You must have. What amuses me though is that they were all Lords and Ladies or Princesses or the like- never the servants. Have you noticed that? Well I know my place - I would have been in the stables shoveling horse..oops there I go again - getting distracted! Back to the matter at hand - I'd like to share a couple of these memories with you.

I had the privilege of being artist in the park at Sewerby Hall for the first two years of the scheme.  I live literally just across the road from the Hall, so this was a very convenient arrangement for me. The sunny days were spent strolling round the grounds, sketchbook in hand, chatting to the visitors and having numerous tea breaks...sometimes it rained - so then inside, sketchbook in hand, chatting to the visitors interspersed with numerous tea breaks...yes a very pleasant way indeed of passing a couple of weeks.Now no-one could ever accuse me of being a workaholic but I thought I'd better make some effort to justify my existence. I decided to do a painting of the house. So I set up the easel directly in front of the imposing facade and  made a start. A very talented East Riding artist called Walter Goodin had painted a very similiar view of the house in oils. Although I was painting in watercolour I didn't want to compete with him, so decided to paint the house by moonlight. It took me several days and I was often surrounded by interested people as well as other artists so it was good fun. I was pleased with the result and presented it to the Hall manager.  She loved it and it was proudly displayed in her office. Sadly, although very young, she died suddenly. I was pleased to discover that the painting she loved so much had been donated to her family to keep as a memorial of her time at the Hall. 

Being Artist in Residence at Burton Agnes was an altogether different experience. Because I lived in York at the time, Merice and I were given a flat without any charges for a whole month - we literally were artists in residence. I had this privilege for several happy years sharing the summerhouse with my one time mentor and good friend Tony Hogan. Click on the painting for the story behind it. Here's a couple more paintings from those happy days- Burton Agnes Hall by day and night from almost the same location. You will notice that after the big painting of the Hall, I always made sure there were plenty of trees to obscure it!

I included the iPad painting to highlight the different effects you can achieve with this exciting new medium...and it's a lot easier painting buildings with it! That's all for now. I would just like to say thank you to all  readers who got this far without getting distracted or wandering off.

Now how 'cool' is that? Have a great visit to your 'Blue Beck'.