Here’s another en plein air sketch I did during a half-hour walk-and-draw exercise on Kilvey Hill. It’s a strange sight; until very recently the area was completely covered in trees but a controversial development project, The Skyline, has ripped out an enormous channel through the forest. This sketch doesn’t give a sense of the scale of the destruction, it’s huge.
I used graphite (6B), a conté crayon (black) and a white soft oil pastel (Daler Rowney) and drew quickly into a unique sketchbook made by a friend. Each page is collaged with something different and then sealed with transparent gesso. I prepared some of the pages with a coating of Liquitex acrylic ink; Deep Turquoise on this one. The graphite gives a silvery sheen, while the conté crayon shows up as a very dense black.
I have an exhibition, “Carved Heads And Other Creatures”, part of MANIFEST at The Workers Gallery in Ynyshir. The show runs until October 31st. Open Saturdays 10.00 – 17.00, other times by appointment. Come and have a look if you’re in the area.
