I am currently being side-tracked by a project that I had been able to shelve for the last 12 months. That is restoring the cast iron gutters on our 250 year old cottage. It was suggested to me that simply scrapping them and replacing them with a plastic alternative was a much quicker and cheaper option. Sensible advice, but that’s an option I often ignore. Now I am involved in the laborious task of paint stripping, priming and re-painting knowing full well that nobody is going to notice or care about the results. Luckily, under those circumstances I carry on regardless. Anyway, back to more serious matters. I am trying to make a shift in my painting. I am not sure where it is going but my feeling is that my subject matter and the treatment of it was getting too familiar. I like the look of this new painting. It struck me that the farmhouse, as big as it is looks vulnerable and is about to be overwhelmed by its surroundings. Taking out the sky compresses the space and gives a sense of the oppressive power of the landscape.
The farmhouse. Day 1