GREEN RECTANGLES
All over the Dales, often in surprising places, there are bright green rectangles of colour. Their presence mesmerises me. When passing light hits these green shapes they sing out, loudly!
Such visual music can be difficult to capture, but I have always loved the way these rectangles create a beautiful song amongst the fells and valley contours.
Whenever a new view catches my attention I often wonder why it is so. I have taught myself to simply go with the moment and enjoy the offer of a new composition to paint; but to understand why the landscape is that shape, or that colour, usually requires a little research.
I become curious.
Why is that fell so steep sided? Why is there a pattern in the vegetation here? Was it the ancient ice age erosion? Or maybe weather erosion? Is it because of the local geology? Maybe it’s because of the type of top soil?
But understanding the green angular shapes requires no research; it is gloriously obvious: the hardy workmanship and stamina of the Yorkshire farmers creates this fabulous sight. They have carved these out of the fells as unlikely fields of pasture for their sheep. What an incredible feat.
(ABOVE: my paintings of Waldendale (WALDENTIME), Bishopdale (BISHOP’S GREEN) and Kisdon Hill in Swaledale (BARNS OF SWALEDALE II)).
The angular field shapes are moulded by the contours, making them curve and dip, the bright greens ping out against the natural hues of the surrounding slopes. It is often spectacular and makes me laugh out loud! Hurrah for their activity; hurrah for the contrast of man’s hand and nature’s work; hurrah for the mystifying beauty of it all.
Even when I first started painting the Dales, in the 1980s, these patches of green caught my attention. (Here I will bravely share a very early pastel painting which tries to celebrate the scene, albeit a little too starkly):
It is not surprising that these fabulous green shapes still make regular appearances in my compositions, but recent explorations of some high-up Dales brought them into sharp focus once more. It was time to make them the main player again!
Barbondale and Deepdale were new to me: both are south of Dentdale, one is a tributary flowing north and into the River Dee; the other actually flows away from Dentdale and heads west. What amazing places to visit! Both have very steep sides; neither is a place for obvious pasture.
But the incredible Yorkshire sheep farmers thought otherwise: below the muddy brown-purple slopes, green fields sing their song. Stone walls contain them, but don’t protect them from the harsh weather. And yet they are lush!
Not far away, to the north of Dentdale, more green rectangles catch my eye: from the old Coal Road I can see into upper Garsdale, and the glorious pattern continues…
I knew what I had to do. It was time to give these amazingly green fields more applause!
My three new paintings celebrate the hardiness of the farmers and their sheep: Yorkshire Farming I (Barbondale), II (Deepdale) and III (Garsdale).
I will always be in awe of the green rectangles in the upper Dales; and they will always make me smile. Perhaps you will notice them too, and smile with me.
