This week I seem to have settled into a theme, almost an obsession, producing variations on the view through my window. It’s partly a practical decision, as strong winds have made going outside quite tricky, and it’s also because the light has been so different each day that the view has changed drastically, with the hillside effectively becoming another place every time. The lone tree fascinates me as it seems to have its own moods and it also seems to conduct the scene around it, focusing the energies of the landscape as everything – sky, earth, foliage and bracken – swirls around.
I’ve been inspired by a Winifred Nicholson print of a tree in Lugano, Italy. I had pinned the print to my wall when – strange co-incidence – a cycle race I was following online (the Giro d’Italia) passed through the same town, enabling me to see pictures of the glorious lakeside scenery. I had hoped to head out and paint some of the trees round here in full bloom but the high winds have prevented it so far. The blossoms are still clinging to their branches so there might still be time to capture something of them.
This painting was done in a hurry (as usual the light was changing rapidly) and I put it aside afterwards thinking it had failed but on reflection there is something lively and full of feeling in there that I like.
This picture was perhaps the most successful in a way in that I think the composition works and the tones are working better than they usually do (I tend to lose my way as the light disappears typically as soon as I begin to work). Also, the tree seems to be charged with energy and everything is becoming nicely abstract.
I’m less happy with this painting than the previous one but I liked the violets, blues and pinks that shaded the hill and was pleased they’d made it into the picture.