With all the rain we have had this month, this was the first week I wanted to brave the river – the flow has been really fast and high.
Not much marginal plant life at this time of year – the river banks are pretty bare. But the river walls keep on giving – I am drawn to the small plants hanging on for life, that seem to keep on going through the winter months. I have taken photos of these to draw at my studio, but made a note to myself to bring paper and inks to draw them on site next visit.
Ivy forms a curtain along the steep banks and I have taken a stem for my next painting on plywood. I painted this trailing bellflower (below) in August on a piece of recycled plywood and would like to do a series of marginal plants on similar sized plywood. Having just returned from the Garden Museum I feel inspired by Frank Walter’s paintings. They are all painted on old cardboard, wood, backs of photos – anything he could use.
Trailing Bellflower, oil on recycled plywood, 60x30cm
Three delicate trees, oil on single-ply cardboard, Frank Walter
