Our Lady of Walsingham (OLW)

Watercolour and black ink line drawing of the Madonna in the Shrine at Walsingham, Norfolk, usually referred to by the faithful as Our Lady of Walsingham.
This particular piece by me is in fact, a composite made up from three images of her. Primarily the one at the Anglican shrine and taking in other versions I have seen. This is my own interpretation wherein the rose window behind her is an addition by me to enhance the halo effect.

A little bit of serendipity here. I did a precise drawing of a rose window as a component of an ongoing project and added some watercolour to supplement the pen and ink work.
It simply wasn't going to work so I left it and next morning in a half-hearted effort to salvage it I (almost) threw some ultramarine at it then mist sprayed it with water and went to the studio coffee room. 
On return to my workspace the painting had dried out and actually struck me as not too bad and is now something of a work in its own right rather than a component part.
300 gsm smooth cartridge 35 x 50 cms
Serendipity indeed.

Madonna (1)

Not the famous pop singer but art related to the Virgin Mary, sometimes referred to in Catholic circles as "Our Lady". There has been throughout Christian history many and various interpretations of this.
I have visited several holy sites from wayside shrines to majestic cathedrals on my travels over the years; sometimes stumbling across them by happenstance as well as making journeys to specific sites. I think its safe to say that these visits have become something of a lifelong hobby.
I do have regard for the paintings and drawings of the subject but must admit its the sculpture that usually grabs my attention to the point of photographing and subsequently settling down with sketchbook and pencils. Invariably the subject finishes up being further developed on the drawing board back at the studio. This is not usually done the instant I return to the studio, - sometimes I make further exploratory sketches or just leave it lying about to mature, - like a fine wine. This is one such.

 This large statue stands as a door jamb to the great west door of Lichfield Cathedral  just north of Birmingham. I've seen photographs of similar work at Chartres and other cathedrals in Northern France.  I took this picture on a fine summer's day of clear blue skies last year (2018).

This piece, drawn on my usual 300 gsm smooth cartridge paper, is 50 cms wide by 70 cms tall. Simply called "Lichfield" there are other works in progress in the same genre which could include studies of church architecture and will simply be titled with where it was. Closer examination of this work shows it is primarily line drawing which is done initially as precise measured drawing rather in the style of Euan Uglow whose work I greatly admire but taken a step further using architectural drawing instruments, e.g. Tee-square and set-square. But after that, once I've established where things are on the paper, I take a more painterly approach so here we have a heavy line drawing of the figure set against a fine-line matrix with watercolour and later ink wash applied.

Mystery at Dundrennan Abbey

 Near Kirkudbright on the Scots side of the Solway Firth stands the ruins of Dundrennan Abbey which I visited back in 2016 on a damp and dismal day making somewhat limited possibilities for plein air sketching and had to rely on the camera built in to my mobile phone. The above image is of a grave slab now set upright and fixed to the wall.
Available on site information says this was an abbot as signified by the crozier and had been murdered/assassinated. There was no evidence to hand as to who this unfortunate monk was. It seems that Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury who was assassinated in 1170 was not the only churchman in history to come to an untimely end. So why was this particular fellow killed?

 

The life-sized stone carving struck me as a good subject for drawing. At the time I took the photograph I didn't notice the sword hilt at the figure's left breast but it became more obvious when I settled down to the drawing. That intrigued me. Clearly the effigy was made to show the manner of his death. However, I was  unable to find out who he was let alone the circumstances. The Abbey functioned for some 400 years so he could have been from any time in that period. Perhaps some of you Scottish historians out there could throw a little light on this mystery. For example, how did the monasteries become ruined in the first place? Was this a result of the dissolution under Henry VIII? As this monastery and others such as Sweetheart and Melrose fell into disrepair, was it because of this English king and his secretary Thomas Cromwell, or was it because of other turmoil under the Scottish kings? I wonder.

This drawing was done in a Daler-Rowney sketchbook A4 sized on 150 gsm paper finished as pen and watercolour wash.

Dream of the Rood

Completed at last following a phenomenally long gestation.

The following is a translation of the original Saxon poem that inspired this.

It is rather lengthy.

The Dream of the Rood

Translation by Richard Hamer (1970)

Hear while I tell about the best of dreams

Which came to me the middle of one night

While humankind were sleeping in their beds.

It was as though I saw a wondrous tree

Towering in the sky suffused with light,

Brightest of beams; and all that beacon was

Covered with gold. The corners of the earth

Gleamed with fair jewels, just as there were five

Upon the cross-beam. Many bands of angels,

Fair throughout all eternity, looked on.

No felon's gallows that, but holy spirits,

Mankind, and all this marvellous creation,

Gazed on the glorious tree of victory.

And I with sins was stained, wounded with guilt.

I saw the tree of glory brightly shine

In gorgeous clothing, all bedecked with gold.

The Ruler's tree was worthily adorned

With gems; yet I could see beyond that gold

The ancient strife of wretched men, when first

Upon its right side it began to bleed.

I was all moved with sorrows, and afraid

At the fair sight. I saw that lively beacon

Changing its clothes and hues; sometimes it was

Bedewed with blood and drenched with flowing gore,

At other times it was bedecked with treasure.

So I lay watching there the Saviour's tree,

Grieving in spirit for a long, long while,

Until I heard it utter sounds, the best

Of woods began to speak these words to me:

"It was long past - I still remember it -

That I was cut down at the copse's end,

Moved from my root. Strong enemies there took me,

Told me to hold aloft their criminals,

Made me a spectacle. Men carried me

Upon their shoulders, set me on a hill,

A host of enemies there fastened me.

And then I saw the Lord of all mankind

Hasten with eager zeal that He might mount

Upon me. I durst not against God's word

Bend down or break, when I saw tremble all

The surface of the earth. Although I might

Have struck down all the foes, yet stood I fast.

Then the young hero (who was God almighty)

Got ready, resolute and strong in heart.

He climbed onto the lofty gallows-tree,

Bold in the sight of many watching men,

When He intended to redeem mankind.

I trembled as the warrior embraced me.

But still I dared not bend down to the earth,

Fall to the ground. Upright I had to stand.

A rood I was raised up; and I held high

The noble King, the Lord of heaven above.

I dared not stoop. They pierced me with dark nails;

The scars can still be clearly seen on me,

The open wounds of malice. yet might I

Not harm them. They reviled us both together.

I was made wet all over with the blood

Which poured out from his side, after He had 

Sent forth His spirit. And I underwent

Full many a dire experience on that hill.

I saw the God of hosts stretched grimly out.

Darkness covered the Ruler's corpse with clouds

His shining beauty; shadows passed across,

Black in the darkness. All creation wept,

Bewailed the King's death; Christ was on the cross.

And yet I saw men coming from afar,

Hastening to the Prince. I watched it all.

With sorrows I was grievously oppressed,

Yet willingly I bent to those men's hands,

Humbly. They took up there Almighty God,

And from the heavy torment lifted Him.

The soldiers left me standing drenched with moisture,

Wounded all over with the metal points.

They laid Him down limb-weary; then they stood

Beside the corpse's head, there they beheld

The Lord of heaven, and He rested there

A while, tired after the great agony.

The men then made a sepulchre for Him

In sight of me. They carved it of bright stone,

And set therein the Lord of victories.

Next, wretched in the eventide, they sang

A dirge for Him; and when they went away,

Weary from that great Prince, He stayed alone.

Yet we remained there weeping in our places

A good long time after the warriors' voices

Had passed away from us. The corpse grew cold,

The fair abode of life. Then men began

To cut us down. That was a dreadful fate.

In a deep pit they buried us. But friends

And servants of the Lord learnt where I was,

And decorated me with gold and silver.

Now you may understand, dear warrior,

That I have suffered deeds of wicked men

And grievous sorrows. Now the time has come

That far and wide on earth men honour me,

And all this great and glorious creation,

And to this beacon offers prayers. On me

The Son of God once suffered; therefore now

I tower mighty underneath the heavens,

And I may heal all those in awe of me.

Once I became the cruellest of tortures,

Most hateful to all nations, till the time

I opened the right way of life for men.

So then the prince of glory honoured me,

And heaven's King exalted me above

All other trees, just as Almighty God

Raised up His mother Mary for all men

Above all other women in the world.

Now, my dear warrior, I order you

That you reveal this vision to mankind,

Declare in words this is the tree of glory

On which Almighty God once suffered torments

For mankind's many sins, and for the deeds

Of Adam long ago. He tasted death

Thereon; and yet the Lord arose again

By his great might to come to human aid.

He rose to heaven. And the Lord Himself,

Almighty God and all His angels with Him,

Will come onto this earth again to seek

Mankind on Doomsday, when the final Judge

Will give His verdict upon every man,

What in this fleeting life he shall have earned.

Nor then may any man be without fear

About the words the Lord shall say to him.

Before all He shall ask where that man is

Who for God's name would suffer bitter death

As formerly He did upon the cross.

Then they will be afraid, and few will know

What they may say to Christ. But there need none

Be fearful if he bears upon his breast

The best of tokens. Through the cross each soul

Nay journey to the heavens from this earth,

Who with the Ruler thinks to go and dwell."

I prayed then to the cross with joyous heart

And eagerness, where I was all alone,

Companionless; my spirit was inspired

With keenness for departure; and I spent

Much time in longing. Now my hope of life

Is that I may approach the tree of triumph

Alone more often than all other men,

Honour it well; my wish for that is great

Within my heart, and my hope for support

Is turned towards the cross. I have on earth

Not many noble friends, but they have gone

Hence from earth's joys and sought the King of glory.

With the High father now they live in heaven

And dwell in glory; and I wait each day

For when the cross of God, which here on earth

I formerly beheld, may fetch me from

This transitory life and carry me

To where there is great bliss and joy in heaven,

Where the Lord's host is seated at the feast,

And it shall set me where I afterwards

may dwell in glory, live in lasting bliss

Among the saints. May God be friend to me,

He who once suffered on the gallows tree

On earth here for men's sins. Us He redeemed

And granted us our life and heavenly home.

Hope was renewed with glory and with bliss

For those who suffered burning fires in hell.

The Son was mighty on that expedition,

Successful and victorious; and when

The one Almighty Ruler brought with Him

A multitude of spirits to God's kingdom,

To bliss among the angels and the souls

Of all who dwelt already in the heavens

In glory, then Almighty God had come,

The Ruler entered into His own land.  

New Sketchbook Series

Because of changes in family circumstances visits to the studio have been a bit sporadic of late, hence the slow progress of the larger work, "Dream of the Rood". However it has not stopped me from working at home using sketchbooks. I usually carry an A5 hardback one with me; it is a useful "go anywhere" size but for now I've bought an A4 book instead, a proper desktop size and am using it to make mainly pen-and-wash/watercolour work working from a huge amount of photographs accumulated over the years. I'll try to keep this book for finished or semi-finished work rather than the quickly scribbled ideas. We'll see....

I visited Lichfield Cathedral in November last year. I find myself attracted to the  not so  obvious bits that tourists flock to, but rather the obscure and sometimes apparently neglected corners which probably have their own story to tell, making me speculate what these little niches are about. This is one such outside the South Wall of the nave. It must have served some purpose in the past.
All the pages are A4 as pointed out earlier and drawn on 150 gsm cartridge paper. Line drawing with a 0.3 mm. black ink micro-pen with watercolour.

 There is a ruined Saxon Monastery at Heysham Head near Lancaster. The photo was taken in August 2015 whilst showing a friend of mine from Cambridge around. We had a good afternoon at the site doing quite a bit of Plein Air sketching. I only completed this piece  this morning.
Drawn on A4 150 gsm cartridge paper. Line drawing with a 0.3 mm. black ink micro-pen with watercolour.

Dream of the Rood update

Detail of the latest development in the right hand panel of Dream of the Rood. Note the vertical ans horizontal cross hatching.

Dream of the Rood - update

Slow progress made even slower. My wife took ill at the end of August. Consequently I can't get to my studio as often as I'd have liked.
Here's the work so far. All three windows (or lights as they are called in the stained glass world) now have the images in place and it only remains to put in some fine line detail. That could take up just as much time as the work so far.

The work is on a sheet of 300 grammes per square metre smooth drawing paper.

In the meantime I have taken this opportunity to work at home editing the many sketchbooks I've accumulated over the years and intend to show some pages from the past here.

Work in Progress (2)

 The Dream of the Rood: commencing the right-hand panel. This will primarily consist of broadleaf trees. The left-hand panel will be made up of conifers.

Detail of the centre section of the right-hand panel having had colour added.

Work in Progress (1) - The Dream of the Rood

 Two sources fed this idea. First an Anglo-Saxon poem, the full text of which can be found here. It
speaks of the crucifixion story but from the cross' point of view. There are extant artworks depicting this where the figure of Christ is stretched out on an actual tree rather than a constructed cross as would have been made by a carpenter. The other source is a pagan legend where Odin, - to become the Allfather, - had to undergo an ordeal whereby he was fastened to the tree Ygddrassl. It has been suggested that the closeness of these two accounts were instrumental in easing the Saxon and later Nordic peoples into Christianity. Add to this the sight of the sun partially eclipsed by a foreground tree and we have the basis for this ongoing work.

Influenced by the stained glass work of Thomas Denny I decided a on a design set on three lancet windows but as I don't work in stained glass, I've opted for a pen and watercolour piece which should have a degree of transparency. The centre panel is complete and I've made a start on the right hand one. The idea is to have conifers on one panel and broadleaf on the other. In the foreground a kneeling figure contemplates the vision of the Rood (tree) in the distance. Often the forest reveals some hidden gem in gaps formed by these tree avenues, and not all of them are necessarily man-made.

Detail of the foreground figure. Clearly  meditative, though I've left the form deliberately vague.