The Gate

 The Gate

The Gate, oil on canvas, 22 in x 18 in (61cm x 45 cm)

The Market Weighton Canal was used in days gone by for the transportation of a variety of goods. In this area there are a number of old disused clay pits which now form a series of ponds, providing a haven for wildlife. Walking around the ponds at Newport on a sunny day during early summer, I peered through the trees. At the bottom of some steps on a small incline I could make out a gate, the entrance to a peaceful sanctuary. The trees to the side and the gate itself were silhouetted against a brilliant patch of water. Upon my return I painted "The Gate" where I aimed to capture that moment and the contrast between the bright summer sun and the deep shadows formed by the trees

Welton Top, sketch in inks

Later in the year and moving inland on the north bank of the Humber I walked along the top of the path which forms part of the Wolds Way at Welton. The path is lined with large trees and bounded by fields.  At this point through a gap in the trees I could see the estuary in the distance. It was late summer and the field glowed orange. I could see the tracks left behind by the farmer reaping his crop. Like "The Gate" I wanted to depict the deep shadows. so I made a tonal underpainting first to capture the mood and the tones.

Welton Top, oil study on board

Welton Top underpainting

Lock Gates: Water Surge

 Lock Gates: Water Surge

Lock Gates: Water Surge, oil on canvas, 28 in x 36in (71cm x 91cm)

I often go walking on the banks of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire. At South Ferriby, there is the Ancholme River which for many years acted as a  route for the transportation of goods down from Brigg and across the Humber to Hull. Items transported would include the agricultural produce from the large Lincolnshire farms. The river has been widened at various points during its history and diverted to make the passage easier. Where the river meets the Humber there is a sluice and a set of large lock gates. On one of my visits the locks were in use. I managed to make a video of the water surging through which was very powerful and loud. I made a painting of the what I saw (see above). I aimed to capture the force of the water compared with the tranquillity of the still water above. I stayed until the gates were opened and the water flowed away (see image below).

Lock Gates: Open, oil on canvas, 28 in x 36in (71cm x 91cm)

"Lifebuoy" and "Canal"

Lifebuoy

Lifebuoy, oil on canvas, 76cm x 102cm

During the "Lockdown" period due to Covid 19 I walked along the banks of the Humber. My starting point was Faxfleet on the north bank and I walked as far as the Market Weighton Locks where the canal joins the Humber. It was a very hot day and the sun beamed down creating dark shadows. I was fascinated by the bright stripes along the grass caused by the fencing along the water's edge. A lifebuoy stood out against the background. I thought about the danger of deep water, the perils of the sea and the  importance of saving lives.

The scene reminds me of Larkin's words from "Here":

"And the widening river's slow presence...."

At this point the Humber Bridge and the city of Hull is not in sight and the place is very remote with no through traffic. A little further along the bank there is a bird sanctuary with no pedestrian access. 

I passed through "fields too thin and thistled to be called meadows...." before I turned back.

On another walk during a similar period I walked along the edge of the Market Weighton Canal from Newport northwards. The M62 crosses the canal at this point and there are a number of crossings over the canal. 

   Canal, oil on canvas, 61cm x 45cm

M My aim in "Canal" (above) was to capture the starkness of the concrete bridge and the sharp, brilliant reflections in the water below.

 

Piled Gold Clouds

 Piled Gold Clouds

Piled Gold Clouds, oil on copper, 8cm x 10 cm

I used Larkin's phrase "piled gold clouds" as inspiration to paint a small oil on copper composition of the setting sun at Brough Haven. It was a late afternoon in October and as the sun went down over the horizon its  light set the brown mud flats of the Humber aglow with its magnificent golden colours.

The Widening River's Slow Presence, oil on copper, 8cm x 10 cm

At a similar time of year I went later in the day to Welton Top. At dusk, overlooking the Humber I took in the view of the river's "widening slow presence". I later made another small painting on copper. These were experiments in the use of paint on copper. I found that translucent oil paints worked best as they allowed the natural sheen of the copper to shine through.

I also did some watercolour sketches of similar scenes:

Watercolour sketch(shellac)

Sketch, (shellac watercolour and inks)

Following my exploration with copper, I went on to try out oil on aluminium. I found that compared to the glow of the copper, the aluminium produced a "colder" effect (see below)

Autumn on the Ouse, oil on aluminium

Photos, Farming in East Yorkshire: old and new - memories and nostalgia

 Photos, Farming in East Yorkshire: old and new - memories and nostalgia

Haymaking in the East Riding of Yorkshire, c.1905

Work on the land continues today, but  methods have changed. In the vintage photograph above we see some weary farm workers posing in front of their machinery, and in the photograph below, a later image, in the Booth area..

Reaping at Booth

Farming today, near Drax

Larkin was interested in this flat, fertile land which runs alongside the Humber estuary. He visited many villages on his bicycle and took photographs en route.

 Larkin's photographs of the area, about the time of the poem "Here", 1961, see footnote

A barn at Oxfleet today

My en plein air watercolour sketch of the barn (above) tries to capture the delapidated nature of its wooden structure - which had seen better days.

Footnote: Bradford R. The Importance of Elswhere: Philip Larkin's Photographs, 2015, Frances Lincoln Ltd, London, p.143