Mr Blue Sky

I just love the sky. The relationship between the horizon and the sky at the point where they appear to touch seems to generate energy. One thing about Stanton Moor is the sheer vastness of the sky.In winter the sky goes on for ever ,on a dank cloudy day layers of grey hang as drapes blocking out the sun .On a windy day huge clouds bubble up  their edges whipped into shapes moment by moment as they skid across your view. Wandering daily over hill and dale I took to musing on how to express "the sky" in paintings. I take many photos as inspiration( a sign of the times I guess the old school painters set up shop on site). I can reference these images while at home.
The big question for me is how do I depict the "sense " of the sky? I reworked one sky/horizon 5 or 6 times ending with utter frustration . Ask the question!
Why are you copying natures beauty? Hundreds of painters have mastered "the sky". There are videos tutoring "how to paint a cloud" on You Tube.
I long to feel the sky, float away on the breeze, see with another eye....
The sky is hardly ever really blue is it!!

"Hidden Glade"

16"x 16" 

mixed media on canvas

Fog on the Barrow Downs. L.O.T.R. Part 1 ch. v111

"But even as he spoke he turned his glance eastwards ,and he saw that on that side the hills were higher and looked don on them; and those hills were crowned with green mounds and onsome were standing stones, pointing upwards..."

"so they turned from the sight and went down into the hollow circle.In the midst of it there stood a single  stone , standing tall under the sun above.."

"the standing stone was cold and it cast along pale shadow.....

"I got a head full of ideas, that are driving me insane." -Bob Dylan

Corkstone Blues

Damn You Basquiat Part 2

Took me an hour to find the soundtrack, new it was somewhere 

in the house, and let it flow......

damn you Basquiat

Had a couple of frustrating days where nothing was happening no spark, no nothing ...Over a coffee I was browsing "DON'T PANIC art in the punk years" and found my self reflecting on a painting by Jean Michel Basquiat. I loved the biopic and love much of his work and meditating on this picture I became aware that I should be looking at the Moor with different eyes or ,as my good friend Ray might say, a different head .
We took wander on Stanton on another grey day .Again two major themes filter into my mind.
1) whenever you walk there the landscape seems seeped in magic. The birch trees ,the soft bright green   mosses, the mysterious paths and the sense of presence in the stillness.
2) the sky and the clouds. Vast skies, low horizons a sense overlooking the landscape. It's the sky though. Whatever the weather or the season the sky is overwhelming!
Much to digest.