Caldbeck lino cut plans

Well with the Hesket Newmarket lino cut drying I went over to Caldbeck to try and decide on the plan for a new lino-cut. There are two possibilities:

• Ideally one of the village pond with Carrock Fell in the background...need to work more on the composition of this one!
  
• The other - the centre of the village. 

Lots of photographs were taken and invariably I need more! Anyway here are some photos and a working sketch ....with the obligatory helper- not! 

The village pond. 

The weeping willow which I'd like to be a feature of the design.

The photos don't show how incredibly hot - even the mallard were in the shade!

Carrock Fell is visible and an iconic shape behind the pond.

Thunder clouds were building....

The pub is central to the village....

Looking to the right of the pub I can get one of the colourful beckside cottages in.

Continuing round from the pub.....

The initial planning stage - sketching what I can get in and how the perspective will work....

Langdale oil painting

 Following our walk earlier in the week, I decided to give a waterfall a go as an oil painting....this one is 46cm x 74cm. 

Langdale's waterfalls

 While returning from out excursion on Bowfell I took a while to enjoy photographing the waterfalls ....

 

Bowfell clubmosses

There are six species of clubmoss that grow in Cumbria. 

• Fir clubmoss - common 
• Alpine clubmoss - common
  
• Marsh clubmoss - very rare
  
• Stag's-horn clubmoss - local
  
• Interrupted clubmoss - very, very rare
  
• Lesser clubmoss -  frequent
  

The eastern flank of Bowfell is home to five of these (not marsh clubmoss). It is the only site though where interrupted clubmoss grows, so it was a delight to see it in situ; especially on a nice day! For more information check out Tom's blog click here.

 

 

Looking up at Bowfell.

 

 

The very rare interrupted clubmoss.

Stag's-horn clubmoss in cone.

Alpine clubmoss in amongst stag's horn clubmoss.

Fir clubmoss in amongst stag's-horn clubmoss.

Lesser clubmoss.

Interrupted clubmoss.

Interrupted clubmoss in cone. 

New Hesket Newmarket lino cut

While I have already done two lino cuts of  this pretty northern fells village, I had never got around to doing the 'opposite side' of the village. So here it is - printed and drying. I can't wait to hand colour it- it'll look better colored as most of the windows have coloured surrounds which will really lift the design. 

Preparation....

Inking up....

Inked up.

Drying.

Bowfell - in search of clubmosses

A great day out yesterday on the eastern flank of Bowfell. We were looking for the rare interrupted clubmoss, which we found together with other species. The scenery, as always, was spectacular - especially  the waterfalls which were in spate after the previous night's rain. We basically followed the path up the side of Rossett Gill and then took a left across the face of Bowfell...quite steep in places!

Looking up to Bowfell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely waterfalls....

Looking back down Langdale. 

Tom with interrupted clubmoss.

Interrupted clubmoss.

Antler moth caterpillar.

Looking back up to Rossett Pike.

Posing and photo-bombing!

Wether Hill and Loadpot Hill

Two more Wainwrights ticked off for Rocky on what has to be said, wasn't the best of days for the weather! Low cloud and rain ....actually used a compass to confirm what we knew and used a grid reference App to help try and find the actual top of Wether Hill. We parked at Moorhill farm took the signed path up to The Hause; from there we found ourselves unintentionally on the top of High Kop before crossing to Wether Hill. The top is rough grassland - peaty, but it is marked by a cairn on the path and then three flat stones to the right mark the actual summit. From there we had a brief glimpse of Loadpot Hill before the cloud reformed. After Loadpot we retraced or tracks to the tarn between the two tops and headed off on the path which, with a bit of hunting, led down to the buildings at Howe, where we followed the wall along to Carhullan and back to the car. The two highlights of the day being a cracking view of a short-eared owl which flew up just infront of us on Wether Hill and a large patch of chanterelles as we came back to the car. 

Looking up to The Hause and beyond towards Wether Hill. 

The cairn beside the top of Wether Hill. 

The summit view! 

Loadpot Hill summit...and below - the view! 

Finally some views on the way down.

Looking back up our path. 

A late lunch stop.