Fly Agaric
It is fungi time of year and just like last year on the 15th Fly Agaric became the subject of this weeks sketch again. I remember last years sketch as it was also from Walberswick up past Hoist Covert car park in the woods. So these I also found in Walberswick too although out on the Heath in among the Silver Birch trees down Palmers Lane. Fly Agaric are very dramatic with their bright red caps with white flecks BUT also poisonous so please be careful.
An grey afternoon sketch on the Blackshore, Southwold harbour. Old favorites moored up at the end of a platoon as the tide ebbed its way out, behind are the old huts on the Walberswick bank where the hand rowed ferry crosses. Several times during the sketch the flock of geese that feed in Walberswick town marshes were spooked and took to the air briefly flying around before returning to settle, gulls also circled waiting for on the visitor to jettison some chips.
I was sitting in the Bell at Walberswick with friends last Sunday listening to a wonderful Irish folk session when outside I could hear the Swifts screaming past outside in their pursuit for their evening insects. I was amazed at how many they were as I stepped outside and at how close they flew past often so close that I could feel the and hear the rapid beat of their wings. However at that time the light was very low and nothing to sketch with. So I returned midweek to capture them.
The panoramic view of the beach stretching south to Dunwich and on towards Sizewell is always beautiful. At the Walberswick end the sea is shallow and the waves gently rolled across it in the sunshine this morning. There was a beautiful range of blue/greens and browns from the sand beneath on the sea while the distant cliffs were green with a thin slither of beach remaining distinctly visible a light strip. Nice to see people swimming in the sea and people strolling along the beach many with dogs enjoying the day. Interesting are the patterns on the beach where sand meets patches pebbles.
This week I knew exactly knew where I was going to paint somewhere I have sketched many times before.
A walk down from Hoist Covert car park through the Sweet Chestnut woods and out onto the marsh and along the footpath to the old disused windpump on Westwood marshes. I believe that it was built in 1798 and contained a pair of stones for milling, it remained active until 1940 when the marshes were flooded because of the war.
A day with blue sky and clouds warm with a good breeze and perfect for sketching. Today was the first oil painting sketch of the year as I felt that my acrylics would dry too fast.
Such a great place to stand in one place for such a long time full of visual and auditory pleasure in the distance the booming of a Bittern in the reedbeds and a Great white egret flying on the horizon. Best of all were the numerous Bearded Reedlings pinging to and from reed to reed, numerous male Reed Buntings on perches marking out their territories, Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers hiding in the reeds while Swallows captured in the painting were flying around the Mill. Lastly a pair of Pied wagtails that frequented the top of the tower.
