Although I was happy with the previous painting I think it had a fundamental problem in that I had identified a very strong shape within the composition, the ‘orange’ cross and this became a straight jacket around which I had to work. The other paintings, including this, developed from a natural flow of slowly discovering the landscape as they were painted. With this picture I really wanted to make more of the sky and to set the right tonal values which I could build the rest of the painting from. I think I may be heading towards a more naturalistic use of light. I like the way light and deep shadow move across the landscape, this just adds to the drama that already exists in these areas of Northumberland.
Harbottle, Northumberland. Day 2