Today was just a little wander into the local woods. We're really lucky here, to be able to scamper (I am dreaming about the scampering bit) into the local woods like little bambis (clearly, I AM dreaming) and find a lovely sun baked area to wallow in for a while. I mean hammock.
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| Gratuitous Sidewinder pic :) |
We both also like to play with fire a little bit so he took his Bushbuddy and I took my ever faithful Sidewinder, my Evernew pot this time showing a great deal of tenacity in clinging to its pot cosy as a result of the tarring I gave it last time. Wrestling over, Thomas had a brew on of some super secret coffee (unless you're one of the masses now on Twitter having received Growers Cup, oops), while I was still messing with burning things before putting my pot on and Solbærtoddy quaffed. I did taste the Growers Cup. I wont say any more about that.
I'd brought along a mini library of books, which I enjoyed setting out on the rock face so I could pick relevant ones to variously spot trees, wild flowers, birds, butterflies, bees, birds, trees, and trees. I'd also taken the rudiments of a sketch kit with me. Rather than getting messy though (ignoring the tar and feathering from the Sidewinder) I just did a quick 10 minute pencil sketch of layers of light and shade and pattern in woodland.
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| This was hard! |
As usual, the more you look the more complex it became as more details are noticed and hair goes more grey as more decisions need to be made about what to record, what to leave out, what tone each layer is and how to employ counterchange with the right approximate tonal values. Which is to say in a very basic sense, how grey to shade something so that it stands out against something else. Drawing (and much less painting) for me is a wrought affair of ambition in what I want to capture, against my waivering ability, which isn't helped by lack of consistent practice. However,
Kolby Kirk (the Hike Guy), aka Condor on the PCT, and subsequently
Russell Stutler and their work which I've linked to, have both gee-d up my enthusiasm to get cracking again. I think I need to ditch the colouring in bit for a while and get back to basics of drawing and getting an approximation down before I go deeper.
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| Pre-hanging boyfriend |
Apart from then I get diverted by Thomas in his hammock and I want a go too, so I put up his Blackbird next to his Hennessy and get swinging, staring into the trees, noticing how it's as if the land - sky relationship is reversed, and actually, the dark blue-grey pine needles twinkling at me in the sky above are very like sunlight glinting off water, and the hopeful mossies / gnats / biting insect flying things which keep sticking their proboscis into me, are actually whining just above the waters surface ready for trout to snatch, and I'm on my back, floating just under the waters surface, looking up at the blue, blue sky and laying there, dreaming.
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| This is a view |
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| Stars on the forest floor |
Sidewinder for teh win! :) I'm getting the feeling that you're maybe a bit of a gear head? I think to some degree hammocking is a bit of a gearheads dream as there are so many bits to get caught up in and a seemingly unlimited number of permutations thereof.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore my Sidewinder! So versatile, but with the seasonal camp fire ban now upon us it is a relatively legitimate (and controllable, being serious now) way to have a fire and get smoky :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I would describe myself as a gear head although being Thomas' girlfriend obviously has its perks... I rather enjoy kit that works well repeatedly and is relatively simple. This is a piece of art I'm sure, especially with the heat markings on the beautiful titanium, drool...
And yeah, hammocks are great!
It was a wonderful little stroll and camp in the woods for sure - I´m glad you appreciate being out just as much as I do, and how lucky am I to have a found a girlfriend that likes to play with wood burning stoves? Love you
ReplyDeleteWe are really lucky aren't we! I am so looking forward to hiking and camping with you properly - I miss it so much but at least we can do a bit of this in the meantime. Burn baby, burn ;) Love you too :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore my Sidewinder! So versatile, but with the seasonal camp fire ban now upon us it is a relatively legitimate (and controllable, being serious now) way to have a fire and get smoky :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I would describe myself as a gear head although being Thomas' girlfriend obviously has its perks... I rather enjoy kit that works well repeatedly and is relatively simple. This is a piece of art I'm sure, especially with the heat markings on the beautiful titanium, drool...
And yeah, hammocks are great!
An enjoyable read & nice to see you taking time to put pencil to paper. The wood and the weather look superb (very wet in this part of the world ATM).
ReplyDeleteHope you both enjoy many more wanders as summer sets in
Regards
Owl
Pleased to see the sketch book out. Mine hasn't seen the light of day since middle of last year. I can fully relate to the constant battle between what you can see and want to record v actual ability to record. I think you manage the balance better than me! Keep it up as it's good to see something other than photos, and outdoors folk who also dabble in art are a bit of a minority.
ReplyDeleteThanks Owl! We've been lucky with the weather as we've had a lot of rain recently (similar to the UK) but both the weekend and today (May Day is a holiday here) have been lovely and sunny.
ReplyDeleteWhen you do a bit of sketching you o notice so much more - I would recommend anyone to have a go!
And I can relate to not getting the sketchbook out too! But it's definitely worth doing, to make the effort to sketch outside rather than indoors from reference material - it makes a huge difference I think.
ReplyDeleteHope to see some of your work soon then! :)
cool trip!
ReplyDeleteI would certainly second that thought, if you haven't discovered it already it might be worth a trip over to the urban sketchers blog http://www.urbansketchers.org/ there are lots of artists and styles, all of them work on site (not from photos) - admittedly they are generally in the urban environment and not out in the wilds, but you may find a moment or two of enjoyment or a technique that may fit with what you want to capture.
ReplyDeleteThanks, it's always nice to have another lead. Russell Stutler I mentioned in the blog, does most of his sketching in Tokyo. There's still a lot to appeal in urban areas, although I am drawn to more natural environments generally.
ReplyDeleteThanks David!
ReplyDeleteI need to get a hammock! :)
ReplyDeleteI take it you're loving life across the North Sea? Glad to see you're getting creative out in the wilds.
Hehe! Yes, go get one and then head into Rothiemurchus!
ReplyDeleteI am loving life with Thomas certainly, and Norway is a fabulous place with lots to offer. Would definitely recommend a visit - bring your hammock too!
Nice sketch. I'd sketch if I could. Unfortunately, am not that creative so I have to content with using my camera when capturing hike experiences.
ReplyDeleteEvocative and inspiring as of old. Glad the Sidewinder is giving sterling service.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had fun and boy can you draw! :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like that too - especially when it's been a while in between picking up a pencil. The worst part is the first few lines (the blank, white paper effect). Have a go!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun - this place is hammocking heaven! And thank you for the compliment :)
ReplyDeleteAh, you can't beat real fire!
ReplyDelete...stars on the forest floor.
ReplyDelete...looking up at tall trees lying on the ground or from a hammock.
This is how I hike.
It is difficult, for me, to explain this stuff to other people.
You manage to communicate your experience.