Visiting Northern England: Village/City Scape #2

Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself, "What is it about this scene that intrigues me? Why do I want to paint it?" If I am not strongly inspired to paint something, my enthusiasm will usually wane and then it is hard to keep going.  I have always been attracted to flower shops so that was a big part of it. I love all the color. Plus, this florist shop was established in 1903, so the building is old and full of character.
If you look at the lines of this composition, they are fairly simple; getting an accurate perspective was my first challenge

The repetition of the three awnings and windows is nice and once I painted the awnings blue they became more interesting. Along with a paint brush I began applying paint with a palette knife so that I had lots of paint to play with. The white lettering of the signs seemed necessary but I tried to downplay them a bit.

Once I added the interior colors in the windows I knew instantly that all those shapes and swirls of color were what attracted me to this project.  This little 10x8" canvas seemed very big to me now. There was so much detail to paint!

Wards the Florist
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

This attractive florist shop, Wards the Florist, is in York, a beautiful, ancient city full of history and well known for the York Minster, an amazing, large cathedral that is worth visiting.

Visiting Northern England: Village Scape #1

First, it was the sheep of North Yorkshire that inspired me. Then, the incredibly interesting landscapes - so different from what I am used to here in Colorado. And now there are the villages; interesting, historical and picturesque. Each one I visited had its own personality and charm.

For my first "village scape" I chose this adorable tea room in Skipton that had some of my favorite things: my favorite color, red, in the chairs, the name, The Three Sheep Tea Rooms,  which reminds me of the sheep that grace the countryside and then of course they served English teas which I enjoy.

I used an oil paint, called Torrit Grey made by Gamblin, to paint in the initial shapes. (I also used it mixed with white for the background wall.)
The chairs were my first challenge - each facing a different direction.
After mixing my paints I blocked in all the general colors before I started in with the details. I worked from top to bottom.



The Three Sheep Tea Rooms
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

I absolutely love the detail in this painting: tea cups and saucers hanging in the window, the red and white pattern on the chairs, the upstairs window with customers inside, even the crack in the sidewalk was a pleasure to paint. My challenge was to keep myself from getting too tight and caught up with all of it. To remain loose, I applied more paint and then got out my palette knife to soften edges, push around the paint where it looked too stiff and just enjoy the textures I could create with it.

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 #5

It was early morning. Everyone else in the house was still asleep.

I could hear a rooster crow; the sun was about to rise.

Grabbing my camera I headed to the empty bedroom that overlooks this scene behind the house. I opened the window and began taking shots of the beautiful Nidderdale morning unfolding before me.

Nidderdale Sunrise
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

As the sunlight touched the trees and buildings everything turned golden.

Painting this little study was a fun change for me. I worked quickly challenging myself to spend only the amount of time necessary to tell the story. When working from a photograph, I must remind myself to paint the colors the way I remember them, not necessarily the exact colors that are in the photograph. Once again I used a #4 filbert brush to block in the shapes of colors and then a #2 filbert to work in the details.

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 #3

I painted in the lines of this landscape Sunday night and then forgot to photograph it before I started blocking it in; I remembered soon after.

As you can see I started with a deep green.

And then worked in an even deeper shade of purple for the darkest shadows.

This is when the fun started! I began squinting my eyes to see the major shapes which then helped me know where to place the blocks of colors.

The light cream colored trees and their branches added the needed contrast to the deeper shades of green. This color also ties in well with the fencing, path and rocks.

And then it was time to start adding texture, detail and light. The palette knife, once again, became very useful as I applied thicker paint.

Beckoning
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

It was another gorgeous day in North Yorkshire. We had just climbed up to Guise Cliff where we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the valley. (At the top it is enjoyable to sit on the bench and overlook the villages, Glasshouses and Pateley Bridge.)

I was fortunate to be hiking with someone who knew this area well; our new found friend and guide, Ken, suggested a less common way down and I eagerly agreed to the adventure. I wanted to experience as much of this area as possible - so why go down the same way we hiked up? As we passed sheep in pastures and crossed through stiles, we came upon a gate which led down a grassy hill. We climbed over this gate and headed down. I paused when we reached the bottom; the entry into this wooded area was beguiling  to me. This path seemed as though it was beckoning me forward. It was cool and quiet. As we walked, the ground crunched with thin layers of ice on the wooded floor. My walking stick became very useful at this point and kept me from slipping. Bits of light filtered in and at that moment I felt so blessed to be there experiencing this precious part of England on a cold February day.

P.S. I was always amazed at how green everything was during the winter months in North Yorkshire. Many of the trees dropped their leaves and yet there were others that held theirs. This added charm to an already charming place.

Visiting Northern England: Landscape Painting #2

It was a news worthy day for weather in North Yorkshire; everyone was talking about the snow that was predicted. As I bundled up for a walk to the village, Pateley Bridge, I could see the storm coming. The clouds were heavy and the air was thick and cold. Coming from Colorado where winter snow storms are common, I was excited to get outside and walk to the village store, Elliot's Deli, and bring my camera to shoot some nice wintry scenes along the way.

The path to Pateley Bridge from Glasshouses is scenic regardless of the weather or time of year. The River Nidd makes it picturesque as it winds along with you as you walk.

This is one of the many scenes along the way that impressed me with its beauty. The small bridge crossing over the river and reflected in the glassy cold water was breathtaking.

The tall, leafless trees added drama to my view and allowed me to see beyond the foreground and into the snowy white distance.

Winter Reflections On The River Nidd
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

As you can see from my stages, I painted from  light to dark, starting with the white sky. Painting the dark branches into the wet paint of the sky softened them. To complete the painting I used a palette knife to apply thick paint to the snow in the foreground, the tall golden grasses, as well as for the snow on the tree branches.