Happy New Year all. 

I've been slow off the mark this year, slow to get going. However, this isn't an empty post! Before I post or discuss any new work on the blog this year I'm going to look back at the LandEscapes - New Charcoal Drawings exhibition (which already seems a year ago!), and want to share some pictures on the blog for those who didn't manage the trip to the wonderful Centrespace Gallery.

LandEscapes - New Charcoal Drawings at Centrespace Gallery, December 2013. 

There were seventeen pieces in total, which filled the fairly cavernous Centrespace rather well. You will soon be able to see all the pieces on my website which is being updated shortly.

I feature three drawings from the exhibition in this post:

'Fallen Branch, Near Ashton Brook'   2013   112cm x 86cm   Charcoal on paper

Fallen Branch Near Ashton Brook is one of many pieces created last summer around a small plantation of trees that grow beside Ashton Brook. As soon as I saw this storm damaged tree I knew it would provide a wonderful subject not least for its obvious compositional strengths. I was fascinated with the way in which the branch had fallen away and left such an emptiness. The view through the hedge at the base of the tree also captivated me; often I find myself gazing through a hedge taking in the dark shapes that are formed by branches, twigs and leaves. I recorded this scene several times before committing to this relatively larger scale (112cm x 86cm). It is a place I will return to again soon, at this time of year it looks quite different of course.

'Ashton Brook In Grey Light'    2013   113cm x 58cm  Charcoal and chalk on paper

Ashton Brook In Grey Light. A week or so after  finishing this drawing I returned to do another study and found this magnificent old oak tree on its side, sadly blown over by autumn winds. From this angle the tree and other structures around it created an arch shaped motif which I really enjoyed working into the drawing; I was also taken with the way in which this contrasted with the many vertical shapes, creating depth and structure.

'A Gap In The Hedge'    2013   76cm x 56cm    Charcoal and chalk on paper

A Gap In The Hedge was one of the last drawings created near Ashton Brook last summer. I undertook several drawings of this gap in the hedge, mainly in sketchbooks, before completing this drawing. I wanted much of the structure of the drawing to be created from patterns of recurring or similar shapes. It is the silhouetted shapes against a blanket of light that I found particularly interesting. Paul Cezanne once said "To paint from nature is not to copy an object, it is to represent its sensations".

Special thanks to everyone who helped set up the show and made the opening night a great success!!

Stay tuned for more posts!