Visiting Northern England: Landscape Painting #6

This study depicts a portion of Nidderdale looking out from an upstairs bedroom window. The sky was overcast and the air was cold. It felt good to be inside.

I first painted this on a 8 3/4 x 5 3/4 inch panel that slips into the frame of my small box easel. The easel is such a convenient size (9 1/4 x 7 1/4"), I was able to set it on a window sill. I worked in acrylic for this initial study. My main concern was capturing the colors accurately.

Back here in my studio I used my little color study for reference and then also used a reference photo taken from that same window to repaint this scene on a 10 x 8" canvas. The colors that I applied on the small panel were so much more vivid that the colors in my reference photo; a good reminder of how much nicer (and more accurate) it is to paint from life.

One of my favorite parts of this late winter scene of the dale is the color of the grove of trees which contrast so well with the rich green of the hills.

The Farm In The Dale
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

I really had fun with my palette knife on this final layer. I switched off between the palette knife and paint brush to apply thick paint and soften the edges.

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.