Charcoal - fascinating puddles

When the weather was very wet, not so long ago, I took loads of photos and made sketches. I found the shapes and light changes created by the puddles fascinating. Drawing them took some thinking through... but I am now getting happier with some scaled up charcoal versions.

Here's a starting point

Good distance, pleased with the soft trees and hedgerows in the distance, but how much detail to put in the foreground?

 Oh, oh! this is too much, the grass has turned into a heavy block, dragging the image in weird directions.

Puddles, Steps Lane 2 charcoal 70 x 35cm

Much better - balance is restored, I love the flexibility of charcoal, being able to draw it in, and then take it out again.

Ancient lime reborn

Back in December I posted the coppicing of the 2000 year old lime at Westonbirt  (link here)
Since then the coppiced stems have spent a couple of months waiting for environmental sculptor Richard Harris to transform them. The results a couple of months after completion are beautiful. Westonbirt and Harris have created a sublime place; peaceful and contemplatory on the inside, full of vigour and promise on the outside. The branches stretch to the sky, their twigs reaching for the light.

The narrow entrance enhances the feeling of solitude inside the sculpture, and the outside sounds feel closed off.

The signs of new growth are clearly visible on the structure of the sculpture and on the old stumps. It will be beautiful to watch this sculpture grow with its surroundings.

Spread your wings

Cheltenham Open studios started today
I popped along to see pal Sue Brown and fellow altered booker Sharon McSwiney ...and Wow!

If you're in the Cheltenham area and want to see very high quality, highly desirable contemporary art in a working studio setting, and how to make the very best use of your sitting room as a gallery space then spread your wings and fly over to this open studio.

Links below:
suebrownprintmaker.blogspot.co.uk
http://issuu.com/cheltenhamopenstudios/docs/cheltenham_open_studios_2013_guide_book?e=1870341/2305684


image borrowed from Sue's blog