Trees near Ransfield Farm by Ratho – Ink/Inktense with some pencil shading on a Watercolour Moleskine Out for a long walk today and was surprised to see that the local farmer had managed to get his fields ploughed for the coming season. There was, until recent weeks, a fair amount of snow lying and it’s still covering the Ochill Hills, in Fife, which can be seen in the distance. These trees mark the boundary of the farm and Ratho Park Golf Course. They must have been planted as a hedge years ago since many of the lower branches have been “pollarded”. They have, however, been left to their own devices for a long time as the weird twisting shapes testify. One of the trunks, further along the road, has “1920” carved into it. A strange feeling as this was a couple of years before my late father was born. I wonder who cut that date into it?
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2009Mar 10
tags: Ratho | Scotland
Sophie Brown 7:47 pm on March 10, 2009 | #
One reason I appreciate something like this a tiny bit more is that there’s a sense of distance. I like when there’s a bully tree right in the front, then smaller ones in the distance and then the little birds make the whole thing just pop out. That’s not always easy to do. But it’s one of your better things for that reason.
Margie 7:25 am on March 11, 2009 | #
I like this a lot… especially how you use white in the foreground. How do you do that?
Sophie, I like how you describe “one bully tree”. There is such depth to this piece.
Sophie Brown 10:02 am on March 11, 2009 | #
This is a nice one. My mind came back to it and I wanted to see it again. It is pretty great.
trebor61 10:02 am on March 11, 2009 | #
Hi Sophie. The dominant tree, in the foreground WAS painted, strongly, to give some sort of perspective. Glad you like the effect. Like your use of the term “bully tree”. Did you know that balata gum actually comes from a tree species called the “bully tree”. Maybe this is why my tree has “bounced” to the front.
Margie. Some of the whiteness was masked out with “Frisket” (I think that’s what you folks call Masking Fluid). The main part, however, was left white and the red/brown part left to dry. I then soaked the white areas, with water and drizzled neat ink across the page. If you, quickly, turn the page upside down, you can control the flow of ink “upwards” into the foreground. You can immeadiatly halt this by turning the page back. (I did this before the ink had reached the edge of my wetted area). Ink seems to flow less quickly, and doesn’t “muddy” like watercolour so you can judge how far you want it to spread more easily. Hope this helps.
Sophie Brown 3:05 pm on March 11, 2009 | #
No I did not know anything about balata gum. I’ve never heard of a bully tree, either. I was using “bully” as an adjective. Like “a really awesome tree”. They have pine trees in the Rocky Mountains and the sap smells exactly like Juicy Fruit.
roseindigo 7:39 pm on March 11, 2009 | #
I agree with the above comments. The depth you achieve here is quite stunning. Just curious, Bob, have you always drawn or is this just a natural talent you have discovered recently? And you do have natural talent even in the way you lay out your compositions.
GORGEOUS WORK!
trebor61 9:03 am on March 12, 2009 | #
Hi again Roseindigo
I am overwhelmed by your generous comments. I have never considered myself to have any sort of artistic talent. At High School I had a choice of pursuing the “arts” side of the curriculum or the “Practical/Engineering side”. My choice was simple – forget art! I can still remember Mr Strachan’s comment (circa 1961) on looking at my art folio, “McDowall – It’s almost impossible!” I studied engineering, and worked in a design office, before entering the teaching profession. Both of these professions demanded a fair amount of “Engineering Drawing” as well as the ability to sketch different situations on the shop floor or becoming engaged in design situations with the youngsters. Maybe that’s when I started to sketch seriously – my career depended upon it. After I retired from teaching I started to paint as a way to relax and that’s about it. I have been lucky enough to develop some “painting” skills and have sold a few landscapes enabling me to buy new golf clubs and a couple of guitars. I was delighted when a old family friend said that I must have inherited some skills from my late mother (she died in 1972 aged 50). I never knew mum liked to draw/sketch and, having been extremely close to her cannot explain how much your message means to me. I just consider myself very fortunate to be able to share my stuff with others, on this site; secure in the knowledge that no one is going to take offence at anything I post or to be too harsh or judgemental. Although I now have a fair idea of how to “look at a drawing” I feel that, as a priority, I have some sort of duty to comment on stuff others have taken the trouble to submit and that priority must include encouragement – something which folk like yourself seem to do a lot. God bless and thanks once more.
Margie 1:35 pm on March 12, 2009 | #
Hi Bob,
I enjoyed reading your story (above). Mr. Strachnan must have been myopic, among other things I won’t write out of politeness.
I agree with Roseindigo about your compositional skills – I seek them out and study them because you have a great sense of balance, with just enough tension to create intrigue.
Thank you for sharing a bit of your process with us.
Rudat 1:48 pm on March 12, 2009 | #
I enjoyed your story too, Bob. It’s interesting to see where life takes us, and then later discovering the reasons why we went that way.
roseindigo 2:04 pm on March 12, 2009 | #
Well, all I can say is that I’ve looked at good art all of my life, and I think by now I have some judgment skills in that area — AND YOU ARE GOOD! You are much better than you give yourself credit for, and Mr. Strachan was myopic, as Margie said. A lot of teachers are.
I really do think if you collected a body of work and took it to a small gallery or even your local library or a local museum, that you would be surprised at how well received your work is. But I know, I know, it’s a pain in the neck when all you want to do is enjoy yourself. I sort of feel the same way—–BUT what you need is a good agent such as I found when I joined our local art guild and the president of it took an immediate interest in my work and ran with it. It still can’t believe all that has happened just in the last year—-but I’m not sure I like all the busy-ness involved which takes time away from my art work. So this year I may go back to hermitizing, which is why I live in the backwoods in the first place—because I like it there!
Most people can draw if taught to draw, but not everyone can turn out a composition and a watercolor wash the way you can. Just want you to know.
Sophie Brown 5:07 pm on March 12, 2009 | #
One thing I would say, if you’re glad people don’t have negative comments. I love your work. If it was unmemorable I wouldn’t say anything at all. Though I’m surprised every day by the most wonderful bits people submit to this site and also to Urbansketchers, it’s a daily thing with me. I don’t know if anyone remembers this but I was the one complaining about how bad the site would be if it were fully open, that there would be a lot of chaff. And that could have happened but didn’t. I think my job here is to simply enjoy and be enthusiastic. “I like anything as long as it’s good.” That being said I tend to emphasize the positive. Even though there IS no negative here, I ALMOST said that this painting is better and more exciting to ME than some of the recent ones of the castles because there is more depth to the ones in natural setttings, but also because the building would be very far away, and then nothing in the foreground. But then, you get into someone’s PROCESS and it’s immaterial. I can tell you I have a half dozen personal favorites, 2 of which I actually printed out and hung on the fridge. Still that’s not for me to say–artists do do drafts or sketch something for another reason and I think most people in here understand that. So sometimes something is really good, but then some professional critic would come in and say “the compositional elements this and that”. But really there is a great deal of fun in being and encouraging other “amateurs” because nothing is being pushed into some box or other for a commmercial reason–among other things. But for the most part too, people on this website have been very warm and encouraging and easily delighted and that’s really the appropriate way to be. I would hope that if anyone came into this space being in any way abusive that they would be barred from saying anything further. It’s something that could come up. Millions of people out there, some of them are bound to have a chip on their shoulder. I also think Bob’s work tends to bring in more interesting dialogue than most I’ve seen–because the stories are interesting ones as well so it’s a little bit more of a draw.
Sophie Brown 5:11 pm on March 12, 2009 | #
This almost looks like a stationary background in an animated cartoon. Like the rabbits and birds will come out and start talking or maybe a much more delightful setting for Winnie the Pooh than the more brightly colored Disney stuff.
trebor61 2:00 pm on March 13, 2009 | #
Thank you all for this wonderful encouragement. It really means a lot to me. Strangely enough, Margie and Roseindigo I remember my art tutor with some affection. I think Mr. S. was in the position of having to choose a set number of students for a certificate class. I just happened to be not as good as my peers. I can only agree with Susan’s remarks concerning life’s journey and became so fascinated with my own personal experiences that I have (says he with a great amount of modesty) almost completed my autobiography which has taken around five years and has been a hugely enjoyable experience. This will be passed on to my sons when I am no longer here – whether they read it or not remains to be seen. Its an exercise I would commend to all since its fascinating to remember where one has been. Sophie – as usual I’m grateful for your incisive comments and hear what you say. You must be suffering from sore fingers after this mammoth entry so thanks for taking the trouble to post this. I smiled when I imagined Winnie the Pooh leaping about next to Ransfield Farm.
Sophie Brown 3:32 pm on March 13, 2009 | #
The actual stuffed animals are on display at the New York Public Library right now which was a lot of fun, so that’s what got me thinking about that.