Other side of the motorway

28 February 2019


Sheltering from the rain under the motorway bridge.

End of the drive

27 February 2019



Years ago, a long drive lined by trees linked Crabbet Park House with Worth. In the 1970s, the M23 motorway cut through it, and a housing estate was built around it, but the drive and its trees still remain for most of the way. It's popular with dogwalkers, and surprisingly peaceful, even though the traffic is just on the other side of that fence.

Summer in February

26 February 2019



Just last week, I said that it would be nice to visit Worth Park in the sunshine. Here we are, eight days later, on the hottest winter day ever. There have been signs of early spring, with daffodils in flower already, but now we've gone straight on to summer. It seemed appropriate to draw the sundial.

Quick trees

25 February 2019



Only time for a couple of quick sketches today.

Corner of the field

24 February 2019

Spring morning. Where the park adjoins the fields around. The hedge goes north, and a footpath leads west. There is one daffodil in flower. A woman with a grey Weimaraner says, "Aren't we lucky?"


Down by the river

23 February 2019

Warmest day of the year so far, but it shouldn't be like this in February, should it?


Spring in the park

21 February 2019

A tree in blossom. But it's only February.


Two paths up

20 February 2019

From the bridge under the motorway, you can turn either left, up the hill, or right, up the hill.


And back to Winter

18 February 2019

Today's venue was dictated by the cold rain: Worth Park has some big trees to shelter under. Even so, you can see some marks made by raindrops.

It's three years since I was here last. One day, I'll come here in sunshine...








And back to Spring

17 February 2019




Ashdown Forest in Winter

A painting based on yesterday's sketches.


Acrylic on paper, with elements of collage. 60 x 50cm.

Still winter in the forest

16 February 2019

Ashdown Forest is higher ground, and the fog always gathers round there at this time of year. No wind to clear it away. Watercolours took ages to dry.

These are in the northern part of the forest, near "Piglet's Car Park". The memorial to A A Milne and E H Shepard is in the trees at the top of the hill.





Finished off with a pencil sketch and some abstractions.




Flowers for Friday

15 February 2019

Spring here...?



Sunshine with warmth. And shadows, real shadows with depth and colour and hard edges. Intentional shadows, not just darker bits because the sun wasn't strong enough to get round there; shadows with a purpose.

Spring near

14 February 2019


Birds singing. Squirrels running. Shoots rising. Spring almost, almost here.

Trees by the lake

13 February 2019




It's beginning to look a bit like Spring.

Red and yellow and green

12 February 2019

A new part of the park



Found a new part of the park today, after twenty years of wandering around there. Some sunshine and strong shadows. Almost warm, but muddy underfoot.

Small signs of Spring

09 February 2019



In a strong wind, the tailend of the storm. Daffodil buds and catkins. A woman in a purple coat races her dog around the park before the rain starts again.

Buds

Peter, Paul and Eric

08 February 2019



Heavy rain and strong winds. Taking refuge in the church. No lights, can hardly see. Drawing and painting more with optimism than anything else.

The yellow post

06 February 2019


In the woods, there is a yellow post.