April on Southwell Trail

Farming activities have been a recurring theme in this year's Southwell Trail photography. I have been lucky enough to be out walking when the tractors have been working in the fields and the fresh tracks make ideal subjects:

I also captured the plough lines in a neighbouring field - there is something very appealing about the simple perspective of plough lines, especially those with deep furrows:

The next selection of photographs provide some context to the above images, showing the footpath across the field marked by the tractor tyres plus some wider shots of the surrounding countryside:

Oilseed Yellows (April 2019)

Oilseed yellows are one of Spring's pleasures in this part of Nottinghamshire. Not a year goes by without a fine display somewhere in the locality. The best colour this year was on the lower part of the Oxton Estate and these were some of the results:

Newark on Trent

The visit to Newark on Trent included my first ever outdoor watercolour painting session. Working outdoors is very different to painting from photographs. The light changes quickly, the paint behaves differently, and it is hard to stay focussed on the chosen composition. It is great fun though.

Learning to paint and draw is one of my long term goals. I want to extend my visual arts experience beyond photography, but I am happy to take it slowly and enjoy the learning process. There is nothing better or more rewarding than a moment of real progress.

The end painting in Newark wasn't successful as I struggled with the tonal range and selecting the colours. At home I abandoned my 'live' painting and worked from a photography using only one colour. This allowed me to focus purely on the tones and this was the final result, showing Newark Castle in the morning light. A moment of progress for me....

There was time in Newark for some photography. I scouted for alternative painting subjects before settling for the more obvious castle scene. I also captured a number of reflections and river textures plus some selections from the canal side buildings: