Portrait Of A Little Girl: Valley Gardens, Harrogate

Session 6: Painting the dress, socks and shoes. There were several reasons why I was inspired to create this painting, one of them being this full length dress. The layers of color and detail were not only challenging but fun. In a  way it was kind of like frosting a cake. After doing a thin undercoat, I went back in to the fresh paint with two and sometimes three sizes of palette knives, applying and spreading the thick paint in festive colors. The flowers were especially enjoyable!

Portrait Of A Little Girl: In Valley Gardens, Harrogate

Stage 4: Painting the arms and hands. Since I did not do a small color study first, I am curious to see how her skins tones will look once I paint in the background. In session 5, I will concentrate on her hair and headband.

Visiting Northern England: Royal Pump Room, Harrogate

Everything fell in to place this morning, I visited Harrogate and had decided on sketching the Royal Pump Room, a beautiful building with lots of shapes and angles. Although it wasn't raining I imagined myself shivering in the cool, damp air. (I packed rain gear.) My daughter Emily dropped me off in front of the historical building and we made plans for her to pick me up in an hour and a half. There were two benches nearby but what I spotted next was perfect. A coffee shop, Cafe at Rasmus. (It is part of a contemporary furniture store that just recently turned some of their space into the coffee shop.) It is located across the street from the museum with a perfect view of it. There was an available table at the window, it couldn't have been more ideal. I ordered a mocha and settled in.

The Royal Pump Room, Harrogate
5 1/2 x 3 1/2" (sketch book) Ink Pen
Rita Salazar Dickerson





As usual, I chose something much more complicated than I thought it would be. I could have spent the entire time on the "crown" alone that rests so prettily at the top of the main building. As it turned out, it was a good drawing exercise on many levels and I enjoyed every moment.

Underneath the "crown", above the door, is an engraved sign that says, ARX CELEBRIS FONTIBUS which means "a citadel famous for its springs". (I must admit I was hoping it would translate into something a little more dramatic than that. But still, its good.)

I love England.