I’ve been away from the computer for a couple of weeks, as we have been off hiking in the Welsh borders. Offa’s Dyke National Trail is about 180 miles long, and stretches from Chepstow in the South to Prestatyn in the North. And yes, Margaret and I have trodden every inch of it!
Quite a strenuous walk, over sixteen days, and not much time to sit with a sketchbook, although I carried one all the way. I did take lots of photos though, so there might be an Offa’s Dyke painting in due course.
Meanwhile, you can get a flavour of the landscape we encountered from this watercolour which I recently completed as a commission. The island of Lindisfarne lies just off the Northumberland coast and can be reached by a causeway at low tide. The island is topped by the distinctive Lindisfarne Castle, which I made sure to leave as light against the dark of the brooding sky above. Note that the clouds in the sky and the patterns on the land both lead the eye to the focal point of the composition, the castle.
When walking in Wales we crossed many a high place and saw many a castle. Fortunately, the skies were rather more benign than the one I painted for Lindisfarne, as we only had a few minutes of rain during the whole trip. Can you believe that!