Sunday 11th July 2010

The image above is one I did in North Wales, showing the bridge at the top of the gorge in the Nant Ffrancon Pass. Although most of the week it was raining, this particular day was warm and dry with very little wind about, which made it so much more comfortable for me.

I prefer to work to a tight schedule because it means I am forced to concentrate on what really matters rather than fussing over details. The important things for me are the composition, and the key in which I intend to paint. As for the hues, I try to vary these as much as possible, while staying as true as I can to the actual colours I see in the landscape.

My priority is to sketch out the shapes and forms roughly in charcoal first, then block in the main colours to establish the general tone of the image. However, being something of an Impressionist I have to be very clear in my mind about those areas I want to leave light, so that I am not struggling later by having to paint light colours over dark, which makes them very muddy. In which respect, I work initially with four or five colours, then add to these to accentuate the forms.

My aim in this image was to capture something of the rugged nature of my subject, and not get carried away with my colours by trying to portray it as if it was in somewhere like the south of France. In which sense the climate dictated the terms. Although the colours are generally bright by using more blues and greens this was bound to reduce the overall intensity.