COOMBE

Walking further along a footpath that starts at Hicks Mill near to my home, you come to a place called Coombe. The path follows a leat and at this point there are manmade structures such as dams that direct the waterflow through a series of channels. In this painting I was keen to capture the contrasting textures of the vertical tree trunks with the more horizontal geometry of the manmade structures.

Prior to adding any marks or paint I applied gesso and collaged on tape and paper to create texture. The fine liner marks were made on location, and on return to my studio I then added watercolour paint, mixing a variety of colours. I particularly like the way the watercolour reacts to the textured substrate. The whole process is very relaxed as the paint and ink is given its freedom, and the results can often surprise me.