Giant’s Hill, Rampton, Cambridgeshire

Oil 5"x6"

Giant’s Hill is the remains of the ramparts of a medieval castle that never quite got built. Now it’s a raised area with a moat round it, and in the middle a concrete spigot for mounting a heavy mortar – a remmant of more recent troubles. That is to say a civil defence item in the event of invasion during the Second World War. I’ve made it the focus of my picture.

It’s at least a week since I got out to paint, and the same again for oils. This was a small pochade sketch in oils to loosen up. The main criterion for choosing a viewpoint was facing into the sun so I had a little warmth on my face. It’s scarcely above freezing at the moment even in the sun.

Everyday people 4

Pencil 12"x18"

Everyday people 3

Pencil 12"x18"

Same again

Everyday people 2

Charcoal 12"x18"

Same session as yesterday’s.

Everyday people 1

12"x15" charcoal

A friend kindly sat for me so I could do a few everyday poses that will be useful as reference material for other paintings. I like this shape. This took  5 minutes.

Byron’s Pool, Grantchester.

Pen and crayon. 3"x5"

Lord Byron is reputed to have bathed here when he was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge. Now it’s dominated by a weir in which various bits of floating rubbish churn themselves to a presumed oblivion. The  poet, if he were here, would no doubt take one glance and shuffle off to Geneva or Como. Especially since his birthday is tomorrow.

Farm Buildings, Trumpington, Cambridgeshire

3"x5" water-soluble crayon and permanent ink marker

I’ve passed these buildings on and off for many years and have never stopped to draw them until today. Why, I don’t know because they are lovely. Perhaps it was because the low winter sun this morning was catching and modelling the roof surfaces in a particularly interesting way.

I love this way of sketching, putting in the hatching first, smearing it with a bit of “lick” and then adding definition and detail with fine permanent marker.