Visiting Northern England: Guise Cliff

Detail Portion of the Sky
"Guise Cliff"
Rita Salazar Dickerson

I painted the sky today. After taking a necessary painting break to help my husband, Robert, recover from surgery, it felt good to get back to my easel.

I am reminded of what a privilege it is to be an artist.

 

 



Stage 1: Brushing in the composition of the landscape with a wash of Burnt Sienna.



Stage 2: Painting the sky with a palette knife.






 

 

Visiting Northern England: Landscape Painting #4

The forty-five minute hike up to Guise Cliff from Glasshouses is well worth the effort. It is a beautiful rocky ledge of cliffs that overlooks one of the North Yorkshire dales.

 From this viewpoint one can see the villages, Glasshouses as well as Pateley Bridge.

My inspiration for this painting was the incredible contrast between the rocks and grasses in the foreground and the softness of the valley and adjacent hills.

After blocking in the main shapes and colors in the foreground, I decided to paint this portion from start to finish before moving on to the rest of the painting. The palette of foreground colors were in such contrast to the values of the background colors - so it was easier for me to concentrate on those first. Northern England is colorful even in winter; rich reds, rusts and golds were enhanced by the deep green grass and light patches of snow.

At this point I felt like I was laying down the colors of a beautiful patchwork quilt.

Guise Cliff
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

It was mid afternoon. As I looked out below I could see several farms with sheep and cows in their pastures bordered by rustic stone fences. If you look further up the valley you can see the body of water called Gouthwaite Reservoir where flocks of birds gather. 

Visiting Northern England: Landscape Painting #1

Miles away from the fast paced beat of London, traveling comfortably by train, I discovered the idyllic countryside of North Yorkshire where foot paths outnumber winding roads, beckoning me to explore.

From higher ground I noticed that the shire looked like a patchwork quilt and the charming villages seemed inner-connected by a common thread of stone fences and rolling green hills.

On this particular afternoon my husband, Robert and I walked the path along the River Nidd from the village, Glasshouses, to a larger village called Summerbridge. It was a two mile walk with pleasant surprises, like this bridge, along the way. I decided to paint this scene for sentimental reasons. It brings back fond memories of walking under this large archway of "The Old Railway Bridge". There were two of these arches, one on either side of the river, with the middle section covering the river having long ago fallen down.

After blocking in the main colors I started painting in the details....moss covered branches, the aged stone of the bridge, fences and fields in the background...I took my time using a brush and a palette knife.

The Old Railway Bridge
8x10", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

The path, dappled in light, invited me to go  forward.

Painting Sheep V: Stages 1, 2 and 3

It was my last day in North Yorkshire, England and we had decided to spend it visiting Bolton Abbey. The history behind this place which dates back to 1120 is fascinating. The ruins were were impressive as were the surrounding grounds where we walked and enjoyed the afternoon. By now I had developed an admitted obsession with the local sheep and was so happy to see more of them gracing the pastures around the grounds of this abbey. I saw this ewe and her lamb watching me as I pointed my camera at them.

It seems to be working well for me, as I paint wet into wet paint, to first block in the colors and then add the details and texture with a small palette knife and occasionally a filbert brush.





 There is just something special about a mother sheep and her little lamb; it is a wonderful reminder of spring.

Next post: the completed painting.



Painting Sheep III: Completed

I blocked in the last sheep and her two little lambs.

With the palette knife and a number 2 filbert brush I began adding texture to the sheep as well as the grass. At this point I was not sure I wanted much detail in the background. I was playing around with the idea of a suggestion of sky.

Sheep Painting Study III
oil on panel, 10x8"

But in the end, it had to be the stone wall which completed this piece for me. 

North Yorkshire - it was a calm and beautiful day; the little lambs reminding me of why I love spring.

Painting Sheep I: Completed

Sheep Painting Study I
 oil on panel, 10x8"

This is the way I remember these three sheep, grazing in a North Yorkshire field with the afternoon light shimmering on  their backs.

Once I had brushed the first layer of paint on I went back into the wet paint with a palette knife and had fun applying the final layer with thick strokes of color. I want the viewer to feel like he or she could almost reach out and touch their woolly coats and hear them nibbling on the rich green grass.

Painting A Pheasant: 3rd Session

Ken's Pheasant
oil on panel, 10x8"
3rd Session

This blog has become my painting journal. Each time I post a completed painting it brings me back to the time and place that inspired its creation. This colorful little pheasant will always remind me of my time in England, in the North Yorkshire countryside, when a kind gentleman named Ken, took time out of his busy schedule to show Robert and I his beautiful homeland.

Thank you, Ken!

Painting A Pheasant

Ken's Pheasant
 oil on canvas, 10x8"
1st Session

I would never have imagined that the first painting I would be working on after my return from England is of a pheasant.  But there is a story behind this bird, a story of kindness from a stranger and a new friendship formed.

Ken, our neighbor in North Yorkshire, England, knew that we were visitors to the area with a limited amount of time to spend enjoying the surrounding beauty of his native land. Without hesitation he offered to show us the sights and share the history of the area, sometimes by foot, other times by car.  He became out tour guide extraordinaire. We learned so much from Ken in such a relatively short time.  As the paths along the countryside are varied and sometimes vague, Ken showed us the way. By car he gave us an overview of  Nidderdale; all of it was fascinating.  

Back to the pheasant painting. Ken loves the colorful pheasant that grace the countryside. He even enjoys feeding those that come to his yard each morning. (Robert, on the other hand, had other thoughts about those pheasant. Like Ken, he got so excited when he saw them, but it wasn't because he wanted to feed them.)

Robert was leaving England before me but before he left we decided that an appropriate thank you gift for Ken would be a portrait of a pheasant which became the inspiration for this painting. Early one morning, with camera in hand, Robert paid a visit to Ken's yard. With those reference photos and others that I took while touring the area, our plan was set. 

Path To Pateley Bridge III: The Country Estate

Path To Pateley Bridge III
11 x 9", pen and ink

I had no idea that drawing this country estate would be so much fun! I also realize that if I had walked this path to Pateley Bridge at any other time of the year, the leaves from the branches would have blocked my view. The barrenness of winter can reveal many secrets. I might have seen a glimpse of it, but not this. 

I love England in the winter. 

Path To Pateley Bridge

  "Path To Pateley Bridge"
11 x 9", pen and ink

This blog post feels like it has been a long time in coming. For months I have known that I would be traveling to England to stay for several weeks. Having never been before I was so excited as I planned my trip. I had many questions but one thing I knew for sure, it would be completely different in many ways from my home state of Colorado.

I am staying in a little village in North Yorkshire called Glasshouses and from this village is a path (just over a mile long) that leads to a slightly larger village called Pateley Bridge where there are restaurants, a tearoom, art galleries, antique shops, a butcher, a bakery, a tempting candy shop and even a cobbler's shop. There is so much charm here I can hardly take it all in.

I haven't had too much time to explore yet, but I have taken time to walk on this beautiful path and
since I am more familiar with it than anything else right now, I decided to sketch it first.
Even though it is January, it feels like early spring. The grass is deep green, bright green moss covers the low stone walls that border each side of the path and then there is ivy growing everywhere along the way, even on the tall trees.