"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.