I went for a walk around my new village yesterday. I’ve done it a few times, but not with a camera, and thought that in the twenty minutes that the gentle walk normally takes, I’d find a few interesting things to capture.
But, I was well out with my assumptions.
It took two hours! Two wonderful hours of being enthralled with light. Crisp clear light, with the golden glow of Autumn. But, added to that, was the joy of shadows and light working together and creating their magic. That, gives the land a whole new look. It adds contours and interest to create new interest in the picture. I know that going out with a camera when the light is flat and grey, is really a waste of time, as the whole image will only be of mid tones – and how can you get excited with sullen greys and sage greens, sad yellows, and dismal browns. I certainly can’t! But when the light is crisp and bright, the sun is shining, and the Autumn leaves are bright with shining gold, Indian yellows, burnt siennas, dramatic scarlets, rich purple shadows on cream paths, the shadows come alive and become a thing of beauty in themselves, the way they create patterns on the stone walls, the paths and the warm red brick walls of old cottages. Even the colour white takes on a new life of its own – and becomes a shimmering brightness, or descends to a rich cobalt blue in deep shadow.
The place I was most fascinated with, though, was the church. Its old, and very solid, but pretty, small but full of character. I don’t know how old it is, but without searching hard I found a gravestone with the year 1728 on it, but there were far older gravestones, with faded lettering worn with weathering and mossy decay. The sunlight and shadows on the stonework of the church filled me with delight, and the vertical graves themselves added extra interest with the low sun on them, creating more shadows and sharp relief against the damp sap green grass.
I shall be pleased to get the internet back. I’ve not had it at the new house, and I’ve been there seven weeks. So, I can’t show you the images, I can only describe them at the moment. But, they are so inspirational. I want to paint them. And I will. Soon. I want others to see what I saw, to accompany me on that wonderful walk full of bright wonder and stunning light………