Powerful words indeed, taken from the last lines of 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. In a previous life (metaphorically speaking), I lived a few miles from the Bronte Parsonage in Yorkshire and it was a delight to walk the same cobbled streets that those famous sisters had done so many years before and below the moors where Emily had found the inspiration to write such beautiful prose.
So I stopped for a while in town on the way home from work tonight and sat and sketched in an old cemetery, now carefully maintained as a beautiful garden complete with willows and a monkey puzzle tree. I did the initial drawing in pencil, added watercolour and then a few scribbles with a pen filled with Indian ink. I actually prefer dip pens back at base, but to avoid having to take bottles I use a Pelikan Steno fountain pen which has a nice flexible nib and is actually designed for taking shorthand! It started raining, but luckily I had just about finished and managed to get the sketchbook safely away in my sketchbag and headed off to Starbucks for a well-earned Latte and a slice of blackcurrant cheesecake. Nom, nom :)
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| Old cemetery, Huntingdon, ink and watercolour, 5" x 7" |
Beautiful sketch! The cemeteries in your country are always so beautiful and peaceful.
ReplyDeleteGoedemorgen en dank je Judy! I'd been missing my watercolours quite a lot and this was a quiet place, away from the hustle and bustle, to get to know them again :)
ReplyDeleteYou deserved that coffee and cake! You've done a lovely job here.. and have you noticed there's a face on the edge of one of the tombs? :)
ReplyDeleteIts a great sketch, love the light and vibrancy. Bravo you for getting out there to paint en plein aire! xx
Good morning to you Pat and thank you very much. Yes, I see the face too ... yikes, spooooky, LOL. I really enjoy working with oils and gouache but watercolour just has that edge doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteWonderful sketch, Mike! It makes me feel as I was there with you... ;) Ciao!
ReplyDeleteBuongiorno Cristina and thank you very much indeed for your comment. I'm delighted that it evoked such a feeling to you :) Ciao!
ReplyDeleteMichael, I love these pleine aire sketches of yours. Each one is a kick up my backside to get out there and have a go myself. LOL
ReplyDeleteJohn, I'm most chuffed that I hit the right note with you on this one too. I nearly removed this post this morning due to apparent lack of interest - statistically that is!
ReplyDelete'Phwah-duff' (replace with your own preferred backside-kicking sound). Now get out there and get some of your lovely drawings and paintings done for us all to see!
Nice sketch. You can see that you have experience in order to sketch something quickly. You certainly have your cup of latte and a blackcurrant cheesecake (mmmmmmh) earned.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Renske. It took me about thirty minutes to do this non-stop so the coffee and cake was earned :)
ReplyDeleteNot only do you have a way with a paintbrush, you also have a way with words too Michael, and not just your quotes. I adore graveyards, and with the addition of you Latte and cheesecake I could spend a very pleasant few hours there .. a really lovely sketch! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ingrid. Speaking as someone that was told to give up art and literature at school, that's a comment I will savour! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteto think ive sat there so many times, just to chill out. shame its dead boring lol. lovely painting dad! x x
ReplyDeleteAw thank you, Sweetheart! I was only there last Friday! Yes, it's a great place to chill out.
ReplyDeleteBut if you see anything spooky and dressed in white, don't shout yikes, it's probably only some drunk that's just been kicked out of The Territorial :) LOL