A Ramble Through The Years

I was inspired to sketch and paint again after a major heart operation. Part of the recovery process for me, was to go out on daily walks. I started carrying a sketchbook again to observe nature directly, transforming the experience of being in the landscape into works on paper. These walks gave me a newfound appreciation for the drama, beauty and variety of Saddleworth’s moorlands and villages.

OBSERVING NATURE DIRECTLY

Sketching Saddleworth

My art focuses on the places I see as I wend through the high and wild places across the North of England, where peaceful country lanes and dark, dramatic moorlands can exist side-by-side.

I focus not just on location, but also the seasons and their weather. From the clear and sunny days of summer to the dark and overcast skies of winter; somewhere can feel familiar in one season, but totally alien in another.

Even over a short space of time, the subtleties of the light can change to create an entirely new perspective. I draw in the open air, quickly capturing these moments as they are fresh, employing a spontaneous, scratchy movement using ink and homemade tools such as sharpened lollipop sticks, matches and twigs.

My process continues when I return to the studio. Rather than tidying up the sketch, this part of my work is about highlighting the dimensions of light and atmosphere of the moment I’m trying to capture.

This snapshot approach is about retaining a true impression of the environments I walk through, in the moment that I experience them. There’s no going back with my technique. I always stay true to the untamed character of the original sketch, embracing small mistakes and letting the wildness of nature shine through.

My work from this project was exhibited as a solo exhibition at Gallery Oldham, May to July 2023.