Ashwinstudio art blog » Benwick

Fen Mist near Benwick

Ashley — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:35:22 +0000

Finally finished this oil painting of a misty fen day near Benwick.

Misty day on the fens near Benwick

Artist Block?

Ashley — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:45:18 +0000

After spending the morning gardening, I decided to continue one of my paintings. The oil painting has been worked up from sketches and ref photos made in April when I visited and walked near Ramsey, Benwick and Whittlesey. I first started the painting a few weeks back, I had already blocked in the composition and then allowed it to dry.

After painting for 3 or 4 hours I felt I really had not acheived much and came very close scraping the canvas clean or white washing it. It just was not working. Then, I decided to combine sketches of Alders (think the trees were Alders) I had made close to the same scene. I have painted three of them into the mid ground and I am pleased with the result.

Still deciding whether or not it is completed. I don’t want it to be too realistic and I intended it to be fairly loose and impressionistic.

Out in the fens again

Ashley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:03:57 +0000

I spent much of my weekends in the fens again. My wife and my oldest son had a lovely walk along the Counter Wash drain in Mepal towards the old pumping station and onto to Manea. We were rewarded by seeing a pair of Great Crested Grebes courting. The walk has inspired me to work on a painting (study) of a view looking from the drain towards Chatteris.

Another walk took us through Ramsey Forty Foot and Benwick, it was cold blustery day and I must admit the highlight was a nice pint of Deuchars IPA in a friendly pub in Ramsey.