Round Buttermere walk in flurries of snow.

Not the best of forecasts, minus 1 degree Celsius and 20 mph winds at low levels, so we decided on a walk around Buttermere Lake. Spectacular views with snow showers and small water spouts being blown down the lake. Lovely Herdwick sheep as usual too.

Looking up Eskdale

Last year - see the blog for Friday 29th July -  http://juliagarner1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/bowfell-from-eskdale.html, we walked up Eskdale. It's the most beautiful river with lovely pools and waterfalls .....finally this photograph became a 113 cm x 70 cm oil painting.

Carneddau ponies - photographs....

Molly has been out and about collecting more hormonal data - love the photos! Reading around the topic I gather that, now declared as an genetically exclusive population, the ponies were once threatened with a mass cull, by Henry VIII, as they couldn't carry a knight in full armour!  

Progress so far ...

It was so frustrating leaving this painting half way through to go to work....and then the light had gone when I got home....tomorrow is the scary bit ....waterfalls and pools!

A day of preparation....

In between 'proper work' and life I have been planning what I want to work on art-wise next. It's always easier to get up and start something you have planned rather than be faced by a blank canvas or sheet of lino!

Looking up Eskdale ...an oil painting to be ....waterfalls, clear water, pebbles and rocks - what could possibly go wrong! 

The view for the above oil which will be 113cm x 70cm 

A plan in progress for a lino cut of Portnahaven ...the side of the bay I haven't done yet. ...
and below: Port Charlotte, again ready for a lino cut.

Portrait of a crow....

This crow was sat enjoying the sunshine - unfortunately the only way I could get closer meant there were more twigs in between me and the bird.

Skiddaw House along the Caldew

It's only 3.75 miles, from the end of the road (from Mungrisdale) - under the scarp of Carrock Fell up to Skiddaw House and it really feels remote - a big landscape and big skies.

The river Caldew.

Sheepfolds, Skiddaw House and herdwicks. 

Frogspawn in abundance. Sadly there were a few frozen fox moth caterpillars - but some live ones bimbling around too. 

Classic herdwicks.