The Long Slog - Pen-y-Ghent

Looking towards the hill (mountain to us Yorkshire folk), of Pen-y-Ghent or Hill of the winds from the Pennine Way track. This is the approach view for any long-distance walker along the pennine way or any day hill-bagger who has parked along the Silverdale Road at Dale Head.

The Long Slog - Pen-y-Ghent. 20" x 8" Oil on Board

First proper panorama for some time. This is the sixth time I have painting this particular massif, and I think finally I may have nailed it with respect to aerial perspective recession and overall composition. Its been a long road - and at each turn I am learning more and more techniques about capturing the subtleties of painting the yorkshire dales. Todays lesson was not using any form of mixed green whatsoever, as in previous paintings the saturation seems to have overtaken the image and imposed a false distance to the work. Its a lovely thing to be able to learn new things after nearly 10 years of painting, and I guess thats what keeping my interest in the subject.

Sheep on t'road, Newby Head

This is the farm at Newby Head which was once an old coaching inn on the Lancaster to Richmond Turnpike and the distinctive outline of Ingleborough provides the scene with a sense of place. Odd to think that this farm and its neighbouring farms - at Gearstones and again at Widdale Head were also once pubs / inns at one stage in their lives; at that rate it looks like there were more pubs than houses along this route! You have probably guessed, the title comes from the road sign rather than the actual lack of sheep on the road, any anyone who knows this road understands its a biking favourite, as sheep, not being the brightest of creatures have a pretty slow reaction time when faced with a 1300bhp bike blazing along at 60+ mph.

Sheep on t'road - Newby Head: Oil on Board 10" x 8"

Having taken some advice and read some other posts I avoided the use of mixed greens (the thuggish pthalo green and sap green) and settled for a mix of lemon yellow and paynes grey / cobalt for pretty much all of the greens. Again I am still learning, and over the base ground of raw sienna, the lemon yellow provides a wonderful greenish yellow, perfect for these upland areas at this time of year. Problem is now I am retrospectively looking at past works thinking I wished I had used used my own mix rather than these handy tubed greens previously.

Regardless, its been a fruitful couple of weeks as some previous posts had sold, Knight Stainforth, The Escapist had both sold to passers-by at The Little Gallery and also Spring Greens - Smearsett had also left the walls of the studio / gallery.