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Approach to Kilham from Woldgate....

26/8/2014

"Approach to Kilham from Woldgate"
Original watercolour
by
Glenn Marshall

As you wander through the Yorkshire Wolds you can't help but notice the delightful little villages scattered throughout this unspoiled area. Originally based on long main streets most of the buildings seem to have appeared during the Georgian period from the mid eighteenth century onwards though every village does boast houses from a lot earlier but they are relatively few and far between. I wanted to include one such village in "Double Vision" and ended up choosing this approach to Kilham from Woldgate for several reasons. It lies at the end of Woldgate and was a main Roman settlement on the road to Eboracum (York) so it has a lot of historical significance. I liked the juxtaposition of old and new with the modern day accouterments of street lights and telephone wires contrasting nicely with the ancient village church. One of the problems for a painting is deciding not only what to put in but equally as importantly - what NOT to put in. So although you would immediately recognise the scene I have made enough artistic observations to make the painting highlight the contrast between old and new rather than capturing every minute detail- I'll leave that to the camera. It also happens to be the nearest Wolds village to me and finally several good friends live there so it's always a pleasure to visit. The original will be featured in "Double Vision" at Bridlington Spa from 27th October through to 27th November. This is a joint exhibition - just me and Merice with over sixty new works. It's open daily and entry is free. One of us will be about on most days and it would be lovely to see you there. Glenn

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Fancy hanging around one Sunday afternoon....?

15/8/2014

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"Road to Foxup Revisited"
Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall
20" x 16"

What are you up to on Sunday 26th October? It's a few weeks away I know but let me tell you why I ask. As you are probably aware by now (well I do admit to going on about it a bit!) our 'Double Vision' exhibition at Bridlington Spa officially runs from 27th October through to 27th November 2014. However I have just been told that we can set up the exhibition a day earlier on Sunday 26th October. So if you want to pop along from noon onwards you could even give us a hand to hang the works as well as getting a sneak preview before anyone else. I already have a couple of possible volunteers who want to help so come along and join us. It should be fun and, if all else fails .....the Spa do a nice cup of coffee.This is one of the new ones repainted from my original sketch in 2005. If you want to see the first painting just click on the image. Glenn

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An Epiphany on the road to Kilham......

13/8/2014

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"After the Storm, Woldgate" - original watercolour by Glenn Marshall

'Epiphany' - what a lovely word. Maybe mine wasn't as dramatic as St Paul's' and happened on the road to Kilham rather than the road to Damascus, but it certainly altered my attitude to painting in general and our 'Double Vision' Exhibition in particular. You see I knew I was in a spot of bother with my paintings for the Exhibition. It was March this year and my preparations were going well on the face of it. I had decided to use 'Double Vision' as an excuse to revisit different parts of Yorkshire that had featured in my earlier work. The idea was basically sound and I had a lot of paintings under my belt. They were all right...but that was it..just all right. I wanted something better than all right. Anyone who has been on one of my courses will remember how many times I used to say "If you are not excited about doing the painting, how can you expect people to be excited about looking at it.". Disquieting thoughts were running around in my head so it was a welcome break to be invited to dine at Kilham with our longtime friends Tony and Eileen Hogan. They are both artists and we had a great night with good food and great 'arty' conversation. It had been one of those days described by the weatherman as 'unsettled'. Very heavy showers had been interspersed with bright Spring sunshine. It was raining when we drove to Kilham but as we were coming home the sun burst out again and a dazzling light enveloped the wet road and its surroundings. It suddenly dawned on me just how beautiful the area where I now live truly is. I had explored and loved the Dales and the Moors but tended to overlook the Yorkshire Wolds mainly because the friends I used to exhibit with had lived and painted there for many years. I rather felt it was their patch so didn't want to intrude and, of course, casting a giant shadow over the area was David Hockney who had claimed the Wolds as his own. But now I had no such restrictions and if the Wolds were good enough for the world's greatest living artist then they were good enough for me. So having a new subject to focus on gave me the impetus to start again from scratch. At the same time I changed my style of painting. I concentrated on making marks rather than relying on watercolour washes. Paradoxically this gave me more freedom of choice in what to paint as I now had control over the outcome of the painting. I also determined to work more quickly and 'looser' to give the finished article a more 'painterly' look. The result - I became excited about painting again. "Double Vision" is a joint exhibition with Merice and highlights our different way of looking at the world. It will be held at Bridlington Spa from 27th October until the 27th November 2014. The venue is open every day and entry is free. I hope to be there myself most days after 12 noon and will be putting on special events throughout the month - full details nearer the time. "After the Storm, Woldgate" is my first painting for the exhibition. It was done the very next day after our journey home that eventful evening. It is the first of a series of 'Wolds' paintings featuring among other things - ruined churches, deserted medieval villages,little known tracks under classic 'big skies'. I hope you like it and look forward to seeing you all at the Spa. Glenn

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After a Shower......

8/8/2014

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"After a Shower on the Road to Foxup" - original watercolour by Glenn Marshall

I love the ways that a shower can transform a landscape. The colours become more vivid and the contrasts clearer.When you are in the Yorkshire Dales you will get lots of opportunities to witness this phenomenon as it is usually raining or about to rain! Hey don't be put off - this only enhances the experience of visiting this beautiful part of God's own county. This is a gated road near Foxup which is a tiny hamlet situated between Litton and Halton Gill. We discovered it by accident while holidaying in the Dales a few years back. It is the source of the River Skirfare which can be glimpsed through the wall in the left of my painting. 'Gated' roads are just that - roads with a 'gate'. These single track roads are used a drove roads by the sheep farmers so it is important the gates are kept closed so follow the country code and always make sure they are securely shut after you have passed through.. This is one of the paintings I recently discovered so it has never been posted before. The strong composition covers up any deficiency in my painting and I am pleased my love for this wonderful area shines through making this a pleasing picture for me and I hope you enjoy it too. Glenn.

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Tis the season....to paint outdoors!

7/8/2014

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"Into the Sun at Scarborough Harbour" - original watercolour by Glenn Marshall

The sun is shining, the air is warm and the days are long...must be time to get out the field easel and head off to the great outdoors. Now this might seem a daunting prospect to some ...and it is especially if you are fairly new to painting. However I promise you that the joys and rewards of making the effort are well worth it. So here are a few little pointers from my first experience that I hope will whet your appetite to give it a go. The very first time - ah I remember it well. I had finally plucked up the resolve and loaded up the car. Off we went heading out for the wilds of the North Yorks Moors National Park. I chose Bransdale as the first location for an outdoor masterpiece. Good choice. I had a 4 x 4 in those days so headed up the road marked 'Dale head Only' and when the tarmac ran out just merrily carried on up the track for another few minutes or so until I found the perfect spot miles from anywhere and best of all - completely deserted with nobody in sight. Setting up is fun - getting the easel just right, taping your paper down and board in position. A few minor adjustments to get the view exactly right, lay out your brushes and palette and you are ready to paint. I did all this and made a reasonable sketch of the moors sweeping down from the dale head under a dramatic sky. Why - I felt like a 'proper' artist. Time to paint then and I very quickly found out that watercolour paint behaves differently outdoors from the controlled conditions of the studio. For a start it was a hot day and the paper dried very quickly making my usual technique for doing skies unworkable. I paint skies in large free washes but with the paper drying so fast all I got was a mess of the dreaded hard lines and 'cauliflower' bleed backs. I re-wet it and re-wet it, reworked it and reworked it until I had some semblance of a sky that would have to do. It became a grim struggle and I realised I was losing the battle. To make matters worse, would you believe a group of walkers appeared and made a beeline for me. They were very polite and made encouraging comments about my effort but I knew and they knew that the painting was a disaster. Did this put me off from ever painting outside again? Strangely no, for when I looked back at the experience I found I had actually enjoyed it. The painting might not have been brilliant but I could learn from my mistakes and being outside all day just absorbing and being absorbed in the beauty of the scene in front of me had been spiritually uplifting. Unfortunately I haven't got a visual record of that first outdoor painting which is a shame. "Into the Sun at Scarborough Harbour" was painted outside. The weather was really hot on the harbour side and there was quite a crowd watching but I was and still am pleased with this. Here's a few more early outdoor paintings:

So enjoy the bugs on your paper and the grass in your palette and get out there - you will not regret it. Glenn

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Approach to Kilham from Woldgate....

Fancy hanging around one Sunday afternoon....?

An Epiphany on the road to Kilham......

After a Shower......

Tis the season....to paint outdoors!

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