Walking and thinking

Alongside the work I have been doing exploring my responses to the urban environment and commuting (images to be included in a later blog) I have also been walking in the countryside as a means to record my emotional response. I have been using small handmade sketchbooks (made quickly & roughly before I leave the house) and going on short walks into the nearest surrounding countryside.

I think I wanted to make abstract responses rather than recording what I see physically in the landscape but I have found this very challenging as it is not my 'normal' way of working. These are some of the sketchbook pages I think are most successful so far, although they are still very observational.

The pieces in colour were finished at home because it was too cold to be painting outside. I wrote really good notes about the colours and did the colour mixing study above straight away when I got in. I think the coloured sketches are some of the best because they have the spontaneous pencil marks from working on site but the carefully mixed colours add to this and make them more considered.

I also created a long thin drawing on watercolour paper after returning to the studio - taking the idea of a walk as a line. I like the use of colour on this piece and the simplicity of the piece; just simple pencil marks and coloured stains.

I will write more about the walks and sketchbooks, etc in another blog, as this one is getting a bit long.