Ever tried drawing out of the car window? John and I drove up to see some friends in the north of the Lake District the other day, to meet up with another couple we met while we were travelling in India (but that's another story). Anyway, it's a 3.5 hour drive and, half way there I suddenly realised that, in the rush to get on the road, I had forgotten my sketching gear. Oh no.
It was to be a social weekend, so not billed for sketching, but you know how it goes - as soon as I knew I didn't have the means, I was desperate to draw. I actually got quite twitchy! Luckily, there's an art's centre / gallery / climbing shop called Rheged just off the A66 at Penrith. I managed to get an A4 sketchbook. I bought 3 Derwent sketching pencils: black, olive and brick red and a pencil sharpener.
I had to put them to use straight away, which is what these sketches are about. Once you get into the Lakes, the road twists and turns, so there's no chance of drawing anything accurate or truly representational. Which makes it easier in a way, as you have to let go of reality and get down quick impressions in sudden bursts or capture what you can in bits and bobs, which can meld together into one image.
I have an appalling visual memory, so drawing on the move is always a bit of an extra challenge. These are the best of the bunch. I had fun and it kept me quiet for the last part of the trip. I felt much better once I had got it out of my system too!
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