This landscape study was made today in Daler-Rowney Georgian oils on 10” x 12” canvas. It was painted from photographs taken on Sunday on a Wirral Walking Festival event – Storeton Village History Walk  – and took a little over an hour to complete.

According to our Wirral Archaeology walking guide, who I’ve no reason to doubt, it depicts the possible/probable site of the Battle of Brunanburh in 937AD, depending on your point of view.

Though a relatively unprepossessing site now, I couldn’t help but wonder at the effect of fast-moving clouds over the landscape, with areas fleetingly bathed in sunlight before being cast again into deep shadow. For one brief moment, foreground farmland, plunged into gloom, contrasted gloriously with distant fields and woodlands, which carried an ethereal glow of warm spring sunshine.

The rapidly changing effects on the landscape were difficult, if not impossible for someone of my photographic calibre, to capture with the camera. Hence today, when it came to make this painting, I was unfortunately forced to rely to a great extent on my wobbly memory for colours and tones. Thankfully as it was fairly fresh in my mind, I think I’ve made a fair fist of it, capturing something of the atmospheric effects we experienced on the day. I hope so anyway.