Pastoral

Pastoral, oil on canvas, 76cm x 102cm

The journey along the Humber takes us to the fish docks of Hull. Once a thriving community, the buildings stand sad and derelict - Hull's fishing industry victim to the "Cod Wars" of 1960s/70s.

The Hull trawlers sailed out of the fish docks, St Andrew's Dock, where iconic buildings still stand as a reminder of a lost industry and way of life.  

    Watercolour sketch, Lord Line building, St Andrew's Quay

Lord Line was a major shipping line sailing from Hull. Its headquarters rise up from the wasteland, once a busy dock filled with trawlers. The fishing industry supported families in the Hessle Road area of Hull which was a very close community. 

I sketched the remains of the lock gates and staging where the ships would temporarily moor up. Their devasted condition testimony to their past.

Sketching Along the Humber: South Bank

 Sketching Along the Humber: South Bank

I made some watercolour sketches on the south bank of the Humber, at the foot of the Humber Bridge. In the sketch above I tried to capture the graceful sweep of the bridge and the reflections on the water. In the foreground are the muddy banks of Barton Haven.

In the two sketches above, I concentrated on smaller, detailed areas of the same scene.

The views from the south bank of the Humber take in the more built-up areas of the outskirts of Hull. Looking east, one can see the commercial ports of the Humber and often spot a large ship or ferry. It is interesting to see the ships navigate the wide channel of the estuary and carefully navigate the huge sandbanks which appear as the tide goes down.

Sketching Along the Humber: North Bank

Sketching Along the Humber: North Bank

There is much scope for making exciting sketches along the banks of the Humber. It is interesting to see the different views from the north and south banks. The Humber Bridge forms a dramatic backdrop to the views at Hessle foreshore and the light is always changing.

I made a series of watercolour sketches which are illustrated below.

I then went on to try out painting a similar view on aluminium - the cool of the metal seemed to suit the shiny reflections of the water, but I found it difficult to work with.

Sketch in oil paint onto aluminium

Philip Larkin and the Humber

 Philip Larkin and the Humber 

A self-posed portrait of Larkin on the Hessle foreshore, 1969

http://www.thelarkintrail.co.uk/

Philip Larkin was a keen amateur photographer who took many photographs on his travels around the Humber and along the Humber foreshore. His images capture the wide open spaces of the estuary.

The Philip Larkin Society provides much information on its website, including photographs taken by Larkin of East Yorkshire and other archive material, including podcasts and videos.

Hull History Centre has produced a research guide for all things to do with Philip Larkin and holds archive material.

Larkin and John Betjeman on the ferry across the Humber

Hull's Paragon Station was a place much frequented by Larkin. It was the departure point for many of his trips both locally and further afield, including the famous journey captured in "The Whitsun Weddings". The Larkin statue was commissioned by the Philip Larkin Society  to act as a lasting legacy

Bronze Statue of Philip Larkin by Martin Jennings, 2010,  Hull Paragon Station, photograph Paul Harrop

http://www.thelarkintrail.co.uk/

https://philiplarkin.com/

https://hullhistorycentre.org.uk/research/research-guides/PDF/larkin-source-guide.pdf

Jean's Walk Hessle

 Jean's Walk Hessle

  Relics (Jean's Walk), oil on wooden panel, 30cm x 40cm

Je  Jean's Walk borders an inlet at Hessle Foreshore and runs between a wooded area and the tidal shoreline of the Humber Estuary. There are old posts and bollards lining the walkway where vessels used to moor up. It is an interesting place to visit. In the painting above you can see some old wooden staging in the background. The foreground is dominated by a deep shadow created by a very large metal mooring bollard. I aimed to capture the aged look of the wooden posts as the bright summer light fell on them.

   

  

Je   Jean's Walk, oil on wooden panel, 30cm x 40cm

 S Sketches, watercolour and ink

 

Hessle Foreshore

 Hessle Foreshore

“Where Sky and Water Meet”, oil on wooden panel, 30cm x 40cm

Hessle lies on the north bank of the Humber. The foreshore has excellent views of North Lincolnshire and the Humber Bridge. To get to the shoreline I walked through a small wood where I spotted the view above. I first made a watercolour sketch and then an oil painting (above) on wooden board.

Humber Bridge from Jean’s Walk, Hessle, north bank, water colour sketch

Although the images are very similar, for the watercolour sketch I let the white of the paper shine through. However, working on the wooden board I painted a ground of burnt umber first and then worked on top with colour. I had not used wooden boards very much before and so the painting can be regarded as an experiment. The backgrounds do make a significant difference to the outcome and resulting atmosphere. The watercolour painting is brighter, whilst the oil painting on wood is more "mellow". I used the oil paint very thinly to exploit the smoothness of the surface.

As will be seen from my next few posts, I spent some time exploring the foreshore at this point and the equivalent site on the south bank near Barton Upon Humber.