Walking and sketching.

Belmont - Delph - Turton Heights - Turton Moor - Belmont

A largely overcast day - as per most days for the last month.

Set off from the Black Dog at about 10:00am. Sheep and curlews were startled by the sound of my footsteps approaching. Nearly stepped on a skylark which shot out from under my feet.

Noticed a couple of orchids by the roadside. The books says it looks like a Common-spotted Orchid, but it didn't have the spotted leaves that the illustration in the books has.

Also a plant with very violet flowers - Selfheal?

Sat down to paint near Buff Farm where I found a well composed view towards Belmont and Winter Hill. Painted a quick watercolour, using Naples Yellow to provide the yellow accents on the clouds. I'm beginning to see why artists rave about its usefulness as a watercolour pigment. As an oil pigment it seems to have a different character, being much redder and bombastic.

Finished off with a double page sketch of Buff Farm. The farm is a plain, squat, messy affair - but that makes it so much better for painting. Its a candidate for a bigger painting later...

Got home to find myself locked out, with the only other set of keys currently in Poland with Cath. Borrowed a jemmy from Mike's garage and smashed the little window in the door. I'll have to fix tomorrow. Ah well.

Cath's in Lodz (pronounced 'Wuj') for the EMAS trial. She'll be back on Wednesday but I am missing her...