Artist Code 2201. Completed 10th January 2022.ORIGINAL Water colour 8.25” x 11.5” (21cm x 29.7cm – A4) Faber-Castell Art & Graphic Sketch Paper 160gsm
The title of this work relates to the place where I made this freehand pen and ink sketch on 17th September 2021, it being a lovely sunny day: The Challis Gardens, Sawston (68 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3BG • Email chair@challistrust.org.uk • Website http://challistrust.org.uk). If you are ever in Sawston and need a quiet place to relax, then I would highly recommend a visit to this beautiful place. I have agreed (February 2021) that the Charity’s Trustees may use this image to produce cards to sell in their shop. I do hope they sell a lot and make some funds towards the upkeep of the Gardens.
I took my pens and water colours with me to hopefully produce a working sketch of the flowers in the garden for a future artwork, but instead I wandered around, taking in all the lovely little nooks and crannies until I stumbled upon this little pond with this rather fearsome dragon bathing in the sunshine. I liked the scene so much that, even though I walked around the rest of the garden admiring the wonderful flowers, I kept coming back to this spot and in the end got out my materials and sat in my chair – although I realised I was sitting in the wrong place when I felt a large plop of something on my head and it turned out to be an unconstipated pigeon who had decided to sit on a tree branch above me. I moved a little, and so did the pigeon and got me a second time! However, I forgave him and we both enjoyed our little spot. There was also a grey squirrel which kept coming back to see what I was up to – it was just like fairyland! The stone dragon had been donated to the Charity and it was felt appropriate to sit it in the little pond in the “story circle” where children sit on the little tree stumps and listen to stories.
The pen and ink sketch had been put away until the beginning of January 2022, when I decided to try and complete a few paintings I had started but not got around to finishing for various reasons.
I was feeling rather lazy, and rather than trace the ink sketch and transfer it to Aquarelle Arches (my favourite, usual paper), I decided to put a water colour wash over the ink. I used a very limited colour palette and thoroughly enjoyed the exercise.
Here are a few progress pictures:
