Week 35

Week 35 and what a wet grey day to venture onto the shore for my walk.  It rained and rained, all day it rained and as the tide came in it rained even harder!  I could see how wet everywhere was and I felt like it was even too wet for me. Then at around 6 pm it stopped, quick as a flash I changed into my old shoes and waterproof jacket and grabbed the camera, a banana and some chocolate and braved the day.  It was so wet, everywhere I walked the ground was waterlogged and I was slopping around in mud.    I followed the bank up towards the boulders, splashing my way through puddles and jumping over water streaming back into the tidal river.   I had a little chat to a villager walking with his two dogs and he said this was the second time they had all got soaked.  There was no view of the hills,  a blanket of low clouds covered everything, it didn't feel too friendly and I knew I would not stay longer than I needed to.  The tideline was way back on the grassy shore.  On Wednesday I photographed the high tide, it was just a few feet short of reaching the gate through to the railway station.  I thought it might have washed up something interesting and indeed a large jelly fish was caught between  chunks of the collapsed banking. It was upturned and about fifteen inches across.  Not a subject to draw but one to photograph.  The sea had also washed up larger pieces of seaweed,  red,  green, yellow, black and brown.  The colours were so bright in the greyness of the day.  I collected several different pieces,  and would have loved to have recorded them all.  The feathers were wet and not in the best condition,  yet I still chose a few.  I found some strange hairy objects, must draw one and find out what they are, rather like a sea urchin.   I found a black mermaids purse which looked really fresh.  With more than enough in my collecting bag,  very wet feet and realising it had started to rain again I happily headed home.  Two men arrived at the gate just behind me, so I held the gate open for them.  You go first he said.  No, I answered,  the bare foot wonders first.   He smiled and said, do you mean the bare foot barmies.   They really were running in bare feet,  that is another story,  a regular sight here as people take a course in it.   We were all on the shore,   all doing things for different reasons,  one of us to collect things to draw,  some to walk the dogs and others running in bare feet,  but I have no doubt  we all got wet  feet!

My page for week 35 is this lovely big piece of yellowy green seaweed.  It was so fascinating with all the little branches, which  I could imagine  all waving and moving under the sea.  I drew it lifesize and just managed to fit it onto the double page.  I used three colours of the acrylic inks, Sepia, Sap Green and yellow ochre. I mixed the inks together and painted it with a number 3 sable brush.  I recorded a few of the shades in the corner of the page.  As the hours went by painting, I watched the wet seaweed dry and change colour and darken to green shades, much different from the original yellowy colours which I tried to capture.

High tide on Wednesday.



The jelly fish



More erosion of the shore



Saturday, no view, hidden by low clouds



Compare with last week to see the hidden view.

Hope you enjoy my week 35 seaweed.  The nights are getting darker, it is hard to photograph my drawings as the light is so poor.  Thank you for the lovely comments, always love to read them.    Millyx