The Wall, oil on canvas

 The Wall

The Wall, oil on canvas, 60cm x 84cm

During the summer of 2023 I travelled across Cumbria and Scotland. The scenery and history were magnificent.

We drove along Hadrian's Wall and stopped at Birdoswald Fort, near Brampton, Cumbria. The section of the wall in this location is one of the longest and stretched out in front of us into the distance.

I thought about the Romans who would have guarded the wall and all those who had passed over it throughout the years, and the wars and skirmishes which had been fought around it.

In the painting I have used the texture and colours of the oil paint to build up the atmosphere of the aged wall and the weather worn stones from which it is made. Many of the stones have been stolen long ago to build and repair local buildings, but the section which is left is surprisingly still very solid. 

The history and culture which I breathed in on my excursion was enhanced by the stunning surroundings overlooking England, made up of distant hills, tall grasses, wind-swept in this isolated location and the wild flowers popping up to reveal themselves from behind the wall.