Playing with inks

I meant to continue working on my oil river landscape - and the other two oil painting that I started earlier, but I just felt like laying with ink and mixed media instead. I didn't use any reference for these, they are imaginary landscapes of lakes and mountains. I love mountains, and I love water, and as the sea is far away from here in Switzerland, lakes do me nicely. A cold, crispy clear mountain lake with its turquoise water straight from the snow and ice of the surrounding peaks. I used India ink, and a watersoluble ink from a wonderful little calligraphy shop in Basel, in my favourite colour, Pascha. These were really fun to do, just to see what you can do with two bottles of ink (and some other mediums). It's so important to take time for just playing and experimenting some times.

Inspired by the Dorset countryside

I spent a lovely 10 day holiday in Dorset at the beginning of the month. Almost 10 days of sun and blue sky, and often not even a single cloud in the sky. At one time, we were actually saying that it was almost too much sun for taking photos... We took lots of little trips to some favourite places, like Charmouth beach, Brownsea Island, Kingston Maurward, West Bay (probably better know these days as 'Broadchurch'). I dutifully carried my sketchbook and pencil case on each and every one of these outings - and yet again, didn't get a single sketch done. Ah well, the intention was there. And one day, I'll get there...

West Bay with East Cliff

But our strolls around the Dorchester and Dorset countryside and coast has given me lots of inspiration. And of course I had my camera with me. I used photographs for reference and inspiration for the drawings below, done in pencil, after I got home.

The drawing in turn became an inspiration for a little oil painting. It's still a work in progress, and by the weekend it will hopefully be dry enough for a next layer. I still haven't really got a clue what I'm doing with these oil paints, but I'm enjoying it anyway. And I feel quite drawn to landscapes at the moment. It is probably all those lush greens out there right now, the gorgeous blossoms, the colours in the fields everywhere.