Solitude, Sunset and Survival.........

"Sunset on Rosedale Head"

OK - you have had plenty of practice at painting in your nice warm house where no one can see you but finally it's time to become a 'proper' artist and actually paint outdoors or 'plein air' as your "Watercolours in Easy Lessons" calls it. That was the situation I found myself in a good few years ago. The only problem is that I knew I wasn't very good at that stage so was a bit embarrassed about setting up to paint in front of other people. But a simple solution presented itself - find a location where nobody else would be. So what better than a remote part of the North Yorks Moors National Park. A quick tour lead me to a sign that read 'Dale Head Only'.....perfect. The road soon petered out to a grassy unused track and my confidence began to grow as my old 4 x 4 laboured on. Finally the perfect spot - miles away from anywhere and no one in sight at all. So I set up and eagerly set to work. I did my drawing and added a few washes but it gradually began to dawn on me that working outdoors was a lot different than working in a studio. Bits of grass and other debris kept landing on the paper which dried too quickly anyway with the inevitable result that instead of the envisaged masterpiece I had produced a complete mess. It was at this stage that a crowd of happy walkers appeared as if from nowhere. I say a crowd and I mean a crowd - must have been the annual day out for a walking club. Naturally they were curious and asked if they could have a look. Soon I was surrounded by a group of hikers pressing in all around me and my exposed easel. Fortunately - and I mean no disrespect to anyone - they were all English. Of course I knew it was rubbish and so did they but being English they were invariably polite and uttered phrases like "Looking good", "Coming along nicely" and the classic"I'd love to see it when it's finished". Thankfully the excruciating encounter finished and off they trundled leaving a very chastened painter behind. I could have been put off but it's part of the learning experience of course. The next time I went 'plein air' I was a lot more prepared. Gradually I built up more experience and more confidence and once you get to that stage painting on site outdoors is a marvellous experience that I still enjoy to this day. From my early experiences however I have developed a theory. If for any reason whatsoever you find yourself totally lost and cut off in a wilderness don't panic. Forget the fancy (and expensive!) survival kits - just get out your paints and paper and within minutes you are guaranteed to be surrounded by a whole bunch of would be rescuers! So please do not be put off - get out and paint - you will not regret it. 

'Sunset on Rosedale Head' was not painted outdoors and is an example of multi coloured layers to create the illusion of space and depth in the painting.

Click to see more paintings by Glenn Marshall