A quick jaunt to York before you see a few more from Cornwall. I net a lady in church on Sunday and we were talking about the Minster at York. I told her that an image of the minster would be posted today on my blog. This building is truly awesome and producing this painting was such good fun.

I was seated on a stone wall, not to comfortable, when a horse drawn touristy buggy pulled up. He asked if he could look at my work. Then he kindly offered me a cushion from his buggy, saying that he would be back in an hour.

So I carried on painting. You will have heard of Betty's Yorkshire tea rooms, well there is one just to the left of this image. Shortly a waitress came out of the tea rooms with a tray and walked towards me. On it was a lovely coffee with no charge.

The horse buggy driver returned and I gave him his cushion back.

When out painting you realy do meet lovely people.

Oh well back home again having had a super time around the Cornish and Devon coasts. 

Over the last couple of weeks I have been experimenting a little with my camera. Instead of taking straight photographs, I played around with taking many of the same subject from slightly differing angles, then stitching them together in photoshop. For example see the above of Porlock Weir, which is approximately 20 shots over about 180 degrees. What do you think?

Apart from that there were lots of water-colours and inks produced, of which I will show you a few over the coming weeks.

It was nice to be back in our own bed again last night; slept like a log!

 

A small inlet, just to the north of Polzeath which can only be reached at low tide, as a result no crowds; just one or two couples,  no rowdiness or Blackpoolities, we had walked around the headland to enjoy  this small bay of solitude for a few moments calm. We sat on the rocks which are in the view of the photograph, did a water colour, then had the obligatory picnic, whilst we relaxed and enjoyed the pure peace. A lovely young family turned up. They didn't stay long, but chatted a short while. After a while we again rounded the rocky outcrop into the main bay and enjoyed a 99 ice cream, obligatory at the sea side, before walking a mile back to the car.

Most people take images of caves looking in, so I though, why not go in and take an image looking out; that way nature gives you a natural frame to the picture.

Morning. We have just got up, done our Lateral flow tests (both negative) and after an un-rushed breakfast plan to move on north towards Parra Combe, which is near Lee Abbey.

 

 

Slept like a log, ten hours!

The weather remain wonderful, with even the gusty winds on the cliff tops being rather warm. Long sleeves and a sun hat are essential, without them you would burn very quickly.

On our walks we keep meeting interesting people. Yesterday on the tops above the Rumps we met a diary farmer from Cheshire, he had escaped from his wife and daughters, having left them ion the sands in Little Bay; he was walking to Lundy Hole and back along the coastal path; quite a walk. He couldn't bring his dog on holiday with him, because it was a working dog and needed on the farm with the staff who had remained. We met him later on in the day near Little bay. Then a little later meeting an Indian family on the tops and also meeting them again in Little Bay. They were walking back up to the car and the little girl was tired, so she sat down and refused to walk. Dad and the boys walked on, mum waited patiently.

Because of the pandemic which is very active down here, we are trying to stay away from the towns and concentrations of people, rather visiting remote areas, there is no shortage of those in this area. Above is Porth Garvin, just round the corner from Port Issac of Doc Martin fame, which will be crowded, so not a good venue to visit.

Today we plan to visit Porth Quin, another small quiet inlet and then move to Porthilly Cove, another quiet almost forgotten spot.

Lundy Hole

Today was gorgeous as was yesterday and as tomorrow is planned to be; yippee!

Yesterday we walked along the coastal path to Lundy Hole, a rather challenging walk. Amazingly we saw ravens and heard but did not see sly larks.  The views from the cliff tops were unbelievable. A truly spectacular day.

Today Daymer Bay was visited. Again amazing, blue skys, then green to blue seas and miles of sand; a water colour is painted, but it needs scanning before it can be posted.

Tomorrow Little Bay and the Rumps head, we are getting very fit with all the walking and both of us are getting rather tanned.

 

 Well we are off on our travels again and this time we have wound our way to Cornwall and a quiet house in the middle of nowhere, but to be helpful in describing our location, just north of Polzeath, will do and visually the house is about half a mile to the right of the painting.

We took our time driving down, stopping in Ilchester for the night; a quiet almost forgotten village with a long history back to at least Roman times. Judging by the considerable numbers of old but very substantial building there is also evidence of considerable wealth in the past. We found a friendly Italian restaurant where the food was good. Sleeping wise, the Ilchester arms was superb. So we were on the road by nine in the morning having slept very soundly and in the morning having feed well, arriving at the holiday destination  late lunchtime. 

For the week we are sharing the house with old friends Joan and Robert, so that should be very pleasant. All the chores shared, that sort of thing.

This morning being the first up, after breakfast a short time with the Bible awaits. At the moment 2 Chronicles awaits my attention; can't wait, its good stuff. Before that Liz will want a coffee; us men are never off duty.

Good morning everybody and now we are back home properly and getting on with normal stuff. The trees project is taking a slight twist at the moment and I am trying to think along the lines of traditional still life. Seeing texture, gettin in fairly close up, sharp details, that sort of thing. So to make me think a little more, I have changed my pen to a Muji pen (a Japaneses company) and gone in very close up. the image is A3 size, that is large for an ink, so the work was challenging. The above is an old beech tree with some ivy growing nears its base. I plan to do another similar drawing, so that they are a pair.

Our walks at the moment are fantastic, the vegetation is about as thick as it will get and with all the rain we have had this year, this thickness of the foliage is incredible.