I've been back out in the pasture again over the last couple of weeks recording the change in the season from summer into autumn. Having spent a lot of time in the pod recently continuing to work from all of the visual reference material gathered earlier in the year the work was beginning to lose its energy and immediacy a sign that it was clearly time to get back outside and once again re-immerse myself in the subject matter.
This made me reflect upon the value of working directly from nature as it presents itself in each moment. One is much more able to capture the actual experience of being in that place as a result - which is what my current practise is really about. There is such a dynamic energy in the "drawings" made outside which is often lost in translation on my return to the pod as I attempt to "develop them on" into paintings. Herein lies my next challenge. Do I experiment with taking the canvases outside and work them up in situ?
I enjoyed experimenting with the brightly coloured card board as a way of introducing a brighter "ground". I think it works well and captures some of the vibrancy of the season. It is interesting to respond to autumn in a vibrant and energetic way when it is actually a time when things are dying back and slowing down...
