Damp Misty Mornings

Across the river : mist rising from the marshes, Wivenhoe

I love the misty effects of early morning, particularly when the sun  is low in the sky during spring and autumn.

One day I just happened to see the dawn sunshine breaking through the mist, lighting up the church and Fingringhoe Mill as mist swirled slowly through the trees, across the low lying salt marshes and up towards the sky.  The plants and trees on the grassy walls along the riverside provide a wonderful contrast in the foreground, making this a real joy to paint.

A few days later there was an amazing sunset. I had never seen the sun just at this angle before and could hardly believe the way its brilliant orange light was reflected by the white wall of the mill...no longer white, but like burnished gold...

The trees were no longer misty blues but suffused with golden light. I stood transfixed, as though time stood still...but in a few moments the light swiftly began to fade... 

Here is the beginning of my attempt to share this " moment in and out of time"... I will need to dig deep into my visual memory to complete this painting once these first layers have dried sufficiently to continue.

Mr Turner

Last week we went to see Mr Turner, the film about the later part of the artist's life & my mind's eye is full of  his ethereal paintings and the wonderful photography complimenting them throughout this film...dawn light across salt marshes; sunsets across the sea; sails of boats flashing reflections in brilliant sunlight; steam billowing out from a small 'puffing billy' train dashing along to be caught on canvas...

Leafing through the booklet on Turner's Later Works, by Martin Butlin bought years ago at Tate Britain, I re-lived that visit when I was so amazed by the size and colour of these paintings.

Looking again at my own dawn & sunset paintings, I wonder if I can move towards a more ethereal portrayal of  light in the future...? 

  But I will need to win the lottery if I am to buy such vast canvases & the paint to go with them !