Herdwick

I approached this with an affable, bordering on bland attitude. I was in a good place, looking forward to painting this scene, chosen a couple of days before. I felt no fear, no anxiety. I felt confident in what I knew how to do. Might it have been misplaced? Might it be better to feel an edge, an appreciation that one mis-stroke could ruin everything, though that is rarely the case? While painting, I had started to feel about half way through I was missing something to make this work. Feeling flat, I stood back, took a moment, several moments, in fact, in hanging up the washing before returning to it. The day before, I'd drawn the buildings to get my eye in. It had required lots of concentration I wasn't entirely sure I was capable of. The same thing was happening to me now and my judgement, my ability to respond creatively and incisively felt dulled.

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On the other hand, I had taken a big risk, I thought, in brushing out the buildings to come back to. This was the first time I'd taken this approach, avoiding it before. The first two thirds of this painting had fallen relatively quickly into place, but I found the multiple, inter-connecting rooves and windows and facades befuddling! Still, keep going!!! I hope it has turned out ok in the end. I must be pleased as I've signed it! I can take time to fill in the detail or just indicate what's there by a brushstroke and colour. It's up to me, as I come to know better. Painting is still relatively new to me, especially buildings, and I'm still learning. There is always something good in every painting, for sure, to store in your art sack for future. Drawing it beforehand was definitely helpful.

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This site of the Quaker Guest House and Conference centre, Glenthorne, is in Grasmere in the lake district. The title refers to the adorable herdwick sheep, which graze on the fields around. They have a thick ,brown fleece, a white head and short horns. Not everybody has pointed it out. I hope you can!