Sketches are so important for a landscape painter. You might not always have your paints and easel with you but a sketchbook is a must when you are out and about. I use an A5 size which is not too bulky and easily transportable - it goes with me wherever I go. At first I used to make copious colour notes on the sketch but this tended to obscure the overall atmosphere of the scene and what inspired me especially if there was a long gap between sketch and painting. So I tried a different method as an aide-memoir - the haiku. This is a traditional Japanese art form - a sort of poem consisting of just three lines containing seven, five and seven syllables. Clearly brevity is the order of the day. I don't claim to be a poet but the mental effort of distilling your impressions into such a few short words coupled with the time spent producing the sketch leaves an indelible memory of the whole experience. I can look at this sketch and recall the whole pleasurable day spent strolling round this lovely reservoir in the midst of the Yorkshire Dales. Click on this link if you would like to see the finished painting.
Here's another sketch from the same day. We were enjoying our cup of nettle tea (try it - it is the most refreshing drink there is - promise!) sat on the parapet. We had walked almost the full length of the perimeter of the lake but as we rested I noticed these oystercatchers going about their business. They were a long way from the sea but evidently there must have been plenty of food for them. I never turned this sketch into a painting but who knows...maybe one day. Nearly ten years later the scene is still so fresh to me. Here's the haiku:
"Patience, patience, wait so still
Oystercatcher watch...
In, out - shake it all about!"
So go on give it a try...and the nettle tea...you will enjoy it. Glenn
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