Autumn Shadows, Wharfe

Although a tiny hamlet of a handful of houses and farms, Wharfe has provided inspiration in bucket loads. Each visit reveals new subjects, each changing season provides new views of old scenes, and indeed the light changes from day to day completely changes any composition. It's a Norse Name, hvarf, meaning a bend in the river, as in the River Wharfe much further eastwards which gives its name to Wharfedale. But this Wharfe lies in between the village of Austwick and Ribblesdale.

Autumn Shadows, Wharfe. Oil on Board 8" x 6"

This view is one of the handful of 17th century houses sprinkled around the shallow valley side along a public footpath, the strong Autumn light provides a great introduction to the image leading the viewer into the painting as it bounces off the top of the dry stone wall lining the grassy path. I once read somewhere that you can get away with many techinical mistakes with good composition and although not technically spot on, the strong composition makes up for this. This was painted (again) on gessoed mdf panel, and although it was on a white ground I used promarkers again to build up an underlying tonal sketch before jumping in with the oil underpainting turpsy wash (as Alwyn refers to it).