Sunday 15 April 2012

A Walk on the shore

It has been a week of high tides.  I have watched each day as the water gushed in and covered the estuary.  I really wanted to go and see if it had brought something for me to draw,  and  there was also another reason why I wanted to go for a walk.  So on Friday we decided to venture down to the shore.  I say venture because the sky was really black over the hills, a sure sign of something coming our way.  We decided we would risk it.  As we crossed over the railway line and climbed the steps of our smart newly  painted footbridge the  large heavy drops of rain peppered the ground.  Then as we opened the gate we could feel the chilly wind,  already had our hoods up and jackets zipped tight.  Then suddenly it started to drop large hailstones which  really sting as they hit your face and hurt as they increased in size and number.  We turned our back to them and could feel them battering our head and shoulders and stinging the backs of our legs. It lasted about half an hour and then in an instant  the black clouds formed  an opening and bright blue sky appeared.
 It was like it never happened and we walked in sunshine.  The shore is like this, the views are always changing with the weather, and the colours change accordingly.   I found oak leaves,  I had to collect them.  At this time of year they are wonderful shapes and colours, some really dark, others rusty coloured,  some  full of holes whilst others are breaking and collapsing as they deteriorate with age.   I saw feathers and small crabs and shrimps and seaweed.  All reminders of my weekly finds from last year.
I was also delighted to see my old friend had returned one day,  the beautiful swan, my reason for a walk.
It was lovely to take a walk on the shore, lots of memories here.  The high tides had given the stones a good shake up and my husband found the piece of china.  He handed it to me upside down and this side was just covered in crackles,  so when I turned it over I would  see  a lovely maroon coloured patten of leaves, it made me smile, a great find.  I  always feel so much better after a long wander on the seashore but today was very cold so an hour was long enough and the black clouds were building up again over the Lakeland hills.  Someone had really cold hands from playing in the water!
  I washed my finds and chose this oak leaf and  I added the new piece of china.  It is painted with my acrylic inks with a number 3 sable brush.  I used sepia, brown umber, yellow ochre and a little black.  The china was in my new ink but as it is not waterproof  I carefully went over it with acrylic paint and also used white paint  over the china.  I love painting oak...perhaps you have noticed.   It is done on a sheet of textured watercolour paper.   Hope you like it.

Thank you for your comments and the emails I have received.  Welcome to the new followers too.
Bye until next weekend.   Millyx

12 comments:

Jenni said...

Wonderful oak leaf painting. I love that you find little ceramic treasures and am intrigued to know why! Did I read there was an old factory nearby or am I imagining that? The new ink is such a pretty color.
Jenni

Frances said...

Milly, walking along with hail falling could not have been much fun! It's good that the sky cleared quickly, or sort of quickly.

I also love the shapes of oak leaves, and the painting you show us today is a great example.

Seeing your photo of the swan reminds me that I also saw a pair of swans relaxing on a very green field during my recent day in the Cotswalds. It was a splendid sight!

Milly, I am still trying to get re-acclimated to the sights of New York City without completely letting go of all I saw on my holiday.

xo

martinealison said...

Il est toujours très agréable pour moi de partager vos promenades, vos impressions et vos trouvailles... Monsieur le cygne est majestueux... Vos dessins sont d'une grande délicatesse qui me subjugue.
gros bisous à vous.

Ruth said...

Wonderful oak leaf. :)

suz said...

I love your oak leaf paintings. They have given me a new appreciation of oak leaves. Now that I have a sweet old gnarly oak across the street from my apartment, your paintings have more meaning for me. I'm also pleased the swan has returned.

Windsongs and Wordhoards said...

A lovely painting, the shapes of oak leaves are so pleasing aren't they... the dark, earthy, winter weathered colour of that large leaf in your photo reminds me of the leather of peat-bog men...
Glad to see your Lady Swan back again too!
I was reminded of you recently on one of our own walks exploring the fields around our new house... We came home with treasure - I found a fused section of vertebrae and some spotted feathers,my eldest daughter found a hand forged iron hook in the plough, but my youngest daughter found a delicate piece of blue and white china which wouldv'e been perfect in one of your drawings!
Enjoy the spring!
Carrie...

Melody said...

The walk was lovely, I enjoyed it very much (especially since i wasn't the one being pelted by hail in the beginning!)
Your latest pottery chip is wonderful ~ how fun to find a fun maroon pattern!
Happy Spring, enjoy the ever changing weather!! :)))

Debbie Nolan said...

Milly love your oak leaf - I live in a woods and have tons of those leaves - I too like to draw them. Yours is lovely. Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

Milly, your painting of the oak leaf appears more detailed and better observed than the photograph. It reminds me of someone once saying a photograph only shows how a camera sees the world; not the eye.

Dan said...

The oak leaf turned out fantastically well! The weather has been so changeable hasn't it?
Dan
-x-

Mary said...

So glad you enjoyed your visit to see your daughter in Brighton - I'm just now catching up with your posts as there's been much to do around the house and garden since returning!

This ramble in the hail storm was interesting - how changeable weather can be in your beautiful part of the country. Glad to see the graceful swan is still around. Know you have found lots of lovely things to draw and paint recently................so weave your magic and share with us please.

Sending warm Spring breezes from NC - Bob and I both wish we were back in your area like this time last year!

Hugs and good wishes - Mary X

suz said...

I wanted to tell you that I've finally had a chance to see Fritillary in person! Oh my, the fragrance is amazing. A friend received a bouquet of flowers that had some included in it. I sent her the link to your blog so she could see your garden and your paintings.