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In 1869 the Midland Railway started building the Settle to Carlisle line as a way of getting its passengers to Scotland. For years it had been frustrated by the London and North Western Railway who owned the West coast main line. The final ding-dong with the LNWR came when they wouldn’t allow the Midland to use its station at Ingleton, resulting in two stations in one tiny town. The Midland had had enough and set out to build the line that most people said couldn’t be built.
Now although the Settle Carlisle line is a spectacular and astonishing engineering achievement it lacks something in terms of customer satisfaction. This is because, like an early version of a budget airline, the stations are nowhere near the towns they are named after. So if you get off at Dent Station you’ll have to walk four and a half miles to get to Dent.
(Fortunately they renamed Hawes Junction as Garsdale – it was twelve miles from Hawes!)
One benefit of the walk from Dent Station to Dent, however, is that it takes you through the beautiful valley of the River Dee. The river is pretty much invisible a lot of the time – heavily wooded and deep down in a gorge.
When I went to find the cave of Ibbeth Peril it was a damp autumn day. The leaves were thick on the trees, the brambles prickly and non-compliant and the rocks above the gorge were moss covered and slippery. I eventually found my way down to the riverbed by falling into it, after a brief, unplanned, but exciting journey, on my posterior.
I stood up, made sure that nothing vital had snapped, and found myself in a broad, deep, stone lined channel. There was no sky above – just a mass of trees - and there was only a slight trickle in the streambed. It seemed completely silent.
In the course of researching this book I’ve found myself in some extraordinary places but this took the biscuit. The whole pack of ginger nuts in fact! I walked until I found the cave. It wasn’t hard. There is a lovely waterfall, a round pool of deep green water and, beside it, a big black hole in the rock.
The story goes like this: If you got drunk the witch that lived here would find you as you were walking home. While befuddled by drink she would lead you, with suitable seductive promises, to this gorge. If you were lucky she would lead you into a deep, deep cavern (which, by the way, is about half a mile in from the cave entrance), and leave you there to sleep it off. You would wake up, hungover and disoriented in the dark, with a mouth like the bottom of a witch’s cave, and have to find your way out.
If you were unlucky she just drowned you in the pool.
The gorge is a very scary place. The atmosphere is cold and everything seems unnatural. It feels more like the surface of the moon that the Yorkshire Dales. You are acutely aware of being in a physically vulnerable position: in a water channel with plenty of evidence that sometimes the river here is a violent torrent. In fact a school party had to be rescued from Ibbeth Peril cave in 1990 when heavy rains made the river rise with frightening speed. The event led to a revision of safety procedures for parties going underground.
But who was the witch? There is very little known about her, but she seems to have been called Ibby, short for Elizabeth, and she’s buried in Dent graveyard. Her fame only grew after her death, due to her cruel and unusual stand on binge drinking. Whether she exists or not, Ibbeth Peril is an amazing place, but next time I won’t go there alone.
Now although the Settle Carlisle line is a spectacular and astonishing engineering achievement it lacks something in terms of customer satisfaction. This is because, like an early version of a budget airline, the stations are nowhere near the towns they are named after. So if you get off at Dent Station you’ll have to walk four and a half miles to get to Dent.
(Fortunately they renamed Hawes Junction as Garsdale – it was twelve miles from Hawes!)
One benefit of the walk from Dent Station to Dent, however, is that it takes you through the beautiful valley of the River Dee. The river is pretty much invisible a lot of the time – heavily wooded and deep down in a gorge.
When I went to find the cave of Ibbeth Peril it was a damp autumn day. The leaves were thick on the trees, the brambles prickly and non-compliant and the rocks above the gorge were moss covered and slippery. I eventually found my way down to the riverbed by falling into it, after a brief, unplanned, but exciting journey, on my posterior.
I stood up, made sure that nothing vital had snapped, and found myself in a broad, deep, stone lined channel. There was no sky above – just a mass of trees - and there was only a slight trickle in the streambed. It seemed completely silent.
In the course of researching this book I’ve found myself in some extraordinary places but this took the biscuit. The whole pack of ginger nuts in fact! I walked until I found the cave. It wasn’t hard. There is a lovely waterfall, a round pool of deep green water and, beside it, a big black hole in the rock.
The story goes like this: If you got drunk the witch that lived here would find you as you were walking home. While befuddled by drink she would lead you, with suitable seductive promises, to this gorge. If you were lucky she would lead you into a deep, deep cavern (which, by the way, is about half a mile in from the cave entrance), and leave you there to sleep it off. You would wake up, hungover and disoriented in the dark, with a mouth like the bottom of a witch’s cave, and have to find your way out.
If you were unlucky she just drowned you in the pool.
The gorge is a very scary place. The atmosphere is cold and everything seems unnatural. It feels more like the surface of the moon that the Yorkshire Dales. You are acutely aware of being in a physically vulnerable position: in a water channel with plenty of evidence that sometimes the river here is a violent torrent. In fact a school party had to be rescued from Ibbeth Peril cave in 1990 when heavy rains made the river rise with frightening speed. The event led to a revision of safety procedures for parties going underground.
But who was the witch? There is very little known about her, but she seems to have been called Ibby, short for Elizabeth, and she’s buried in Dent graveyard. Her fame only grew after her death, due to her cruel and unusual stand on binge drinking. Whether she exists or not, Ibbeth Peril is an amazing place, but next time I won’t go there alone.
This story comes from:
Tales From The Dales
A major exhibition of new paintings based on stories from the Yorkshire Dales collected over the last two years. In addition to artwork the exhibition sees the launch of a book for children: The Penhill Giant, which is an illustrated retelling of events which took place on the hill overlooking the exhibition location. The exhibition will also see the launch of a book, illustrated with paintings created for the exhibition, which will include a collection of Dales stories, many of which will be appearing in print for the first time. The exhibition will be on at:
Wensley Church, Wensley, N Yorks.
10 am - 5 am 27 July – 11 August 2013
Preview: 7 - 9 pm Friday 26th July
A chance to see the paintings and meet the artist.
Stories of the Dales: 5.00 - 6.30 Saturday 27th July
Four Yorkshire writers read from and talk about their work.
Open Mic Night: 7 - 9 pm Saturday 10th August
A great evening of music with musicians from the Yorkshire Dales.
If you would like to perform CLICK HERE
Further details can be found on following me on Facebook or Twitter:
http://www.facebook.com/scottmassieARTIST
https://twitter.com/ianscottmassie
Tales From The Dales
A major exhibition of new paintings based on stories from the Yorkshire Dales collected over the last two years. In addition to artwork the exhibition sees the launch of a book for children: The Penhill Giant, which is an illustrated retelling of events which took place on the hill overlooking the exhibition location. The exhibition will also see the launch of a book, illustrated with paintings created for the exhibition, which will include a collection of Dales stories, many of which will be appearing in print for the first time. The exhibition will be on at:
Wensley Church, Wensley, N Yorks.
10 am - 5 am 27 July – 11 August 2013
Preview: 7 - 9 pm Friday 26th July
A chance to see the paintings and meet the artist.
Stories of the Dales: 5.00 - 6.30 Saturday 27th July
Four Yorkshire writers read from and talk about their work.
Open Mic Night: 7 - 9 pm Saturday 10th August
A great evening of music with musicians from the Yorkshire Dales.
If you would like to perform CLICK HERE
Further details can be found on following me on Facebook or Twitter:
http://www.facebook.com/scottmassieARTIST
https://twitter.com/ianscottmassie
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Across England’s largest county over the next two weekends over a hundred artists will be opening their studios and showing their latest work. This is a great opportunity not only to meet the artists and learn about how and where they work, but also to explore one of Britains most beautiful areas. North Yorkshire Open Studios covers artists working in the heights of Pennine hill villages, throughout the Dales, in the Vale of York, the North Yorkshire Moors and the lovely towns and villages of the East coast.
Four of us are once again showing our work at Artison, just outside Masham in Wensleydale, where we all teach art and craft courses. (To find your way to Artison CLICK HERE). We also all enjoy baking so there'll be some pretty darn good cakes too! I hope you can come and see us.
I will be showing some recent work including watercolours and screen prints, some of which I am displaying for the first time, and I will be there to answer any questions about technique and the places which inspired the pictures. I will also be putting on sale some paintings that, over the last couple of years, have been the original work for sets of limited edition prints.
A few of the pictures I’ll be showing are below.
Four of us are once again showing our work at Artison, just outside Masham in Wensleydale, where we all teach art and craft courses. (To find your way to Artison CLICK HERE). We also all enjoy baking so there'll be some pretty darn good cakes too! I hope you can come and see us.
I will be showing some recent work including watercolours and screen prints, some of which I am displaying for the first time, and I will be there to answer any questions about technique and the places which inspired the pictures. I will also be putting on sale some paintings that, over the last couple of years, have been the original work for sets of limited edition prints.
A few of the pictures I’ll be showing are below.
Masham, Evening
Durham from Western Hill
Grantchester Willows
Masham, Misty Day
Lindisfarne
My fellow artists at Artison will be Josie Beszant, Rosie Scott-Massie and Charlotte Morrison. To visit their websites please click on their names:
To see Artison’s current programme CLICK HERE
And
To visit North Yorkshire Open Studios' website CLICK HERE
Don't forget the wonderful 'paperworks' exhibition is on in Masham Gallery at the same time and Hester Cox's studio is also open in Masham.
If you are staying for the weekend and enjoying the other shops galleries and breweries there is more information about Masham HERE
And
To visit North Yorkshire Open Studios' website CLICK HERE
Don't forget the wonderful 'paperworks' exhibition is on in Masham Gallery at the same time and Hester Cox's studio is also open in Masham.
If you are staying for the weekend and enjoying the other shops galleries and breweries there is more information about Masham HERE
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I find screen printing the perfect alternative to watercolour painting. In the latter I enjoy the way the fluid medium develops a life of its own, creating texture and tone according to the amount of water there is against the amount of pigment.
In screen printing the weight of flat colour, the element of design and the fun of juxtaposing contrasting forms make for a very different, but just as absorbing a process. The greatest joy comes at the final stage because, no matter how precisely you think you have imagined the finished piece,when the last layer is printed there is always an element of surprise. It never looks quite as you thought it would.
Screen printing offers a wealth of choices at every stage. To give you an idea of the possibilities within a relatively straight forward design I've shown some of the stages involved in a print of Brighton's West Pier.
In screen printing the weight of flat colour, the element of design and the fun of juxtaposing contrasting forms make for a very different, but just as absorbing a process. The greatest joy comes at the final stage because, no matter how precisely you think you have imagined the finished piece,when the last layer is printed there is always an element of surprise. It never looks quite as you thought it would.
Screen printing offers a wealth of choices at every stage. To give you an idea of the possibilities within a relatively straight forward design I've shown some of the stages involved in a print of Brighton's West Pier.
I made this screen of the ruined West Pier in Brighton from a pencil drawing. I liked the stark outlines and the fractured reflection but I thought it might be interesting to print it over a background layer.
Taking my cue from the sombre nature of the image I added this background. Its a favourite mix of mine made from black and yellow inks. I thought the moon gave it just the right atmosphere.
Then, as a further experiment, I introduced a horizon and a lighter background to bring out the contrast of the dark twisted girders against the paler sky.
I like all of these, but I know one of them really does it for me. Which do you prefer?
If you'd like to learn how to screen print I have two courses coming up:
an introductory course - for details CLICK HERE
and a slightly more advanced, although still very accessible, course - for details CLICK HERE
I like all of these, but I know one of them really does it for me. Which do you prefer?
If you'd like to learn how to screen print I have two courses coming up:
an introductory course - for details CLICK HERE
and a slightly more advanced, although still very accessible, course - for details CLICK HERE
To see a larger range of my screen prints go to Masham Gallery: CLICK HERE
To visit my Facebook page CLICK HERE
To visit my Facebook page CLICK HERE
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I never cease to be amazed at what watercolour can do. Over the years I have added all sorts of things to the stuff - gouache, acrylic ink, wax, sepia - but just recently I've been adding a lot of indian ink. As I've been developing paintings for my summer exhibition - Tales of the Dales (details below) - I have found that I wanted a richness and a gravity to reflect the mystery and the dark nature of some of the stories.
Indian ink, as the name suggests, comes from China, along with oil paint, gunpowder and chess. It has a wonderful couple of properties. On the one hand it will give deep stains into watercolour paper, but on the other hand it will not leave a mark when certain kinds of resists are used.
Indian ink, as the name suggests, comes from China, along with oil paint, gunpowder and chess. It has a wonderful couple of properties. On the one hand it will give deep stains into watercolour paper, but on the other hand it will not leave a mark when certain kinds of resists are used.
This is the method I've been working with recently. I've been combining it with rich glazes of watercolour which float over the indian ink and allow me to find the warmth (or lack of it) which the landscape I'm portraying requires.
Above is Tan Hill Inn, England's highest pub, silhouetted against the sky. Left is The Ribblehead Viaduct one of the most amazing landscapes in the Dales. I wanted to capture the drama, the light and the way in which the viaduct becomes part of the landscape. In the painting its barely distinguishable from its surroundings.
In this way I am, as always, trying to paint the personality of the landscape, and I feel its working. I hope visitors to the exhibition will think so too.
Above is Tan Hill Inn, England's highest pub, silhouetted against the sky. Left is The Ribblehead Viaduct one of the most amazing landscapes in the Dales. I wanted to capture the drama, the light and the way in which the viaduct becomes part of the landscape. In the painting its barely distinguishable from its surroundings.
In this way I am, as always, trying to paint the personality of the landscape, and I feel its working. I hope visitors to the exhibition will think so too.
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I've been looking at some interesting architecture over the last couple of years and I'm continually amazed at some of the strange and beautiful buildings there are near where I live.
About two hundred years ago a craze seems to have started among the local aristos for building follies. Not tiny, one- off fripperies but bridges, castles and, just outside Masham, a stone temple with every imaginable bell and whistle.
From an artist's point of view they are fascinating and challenging. Challenging because they look so strange in the context of the landscape which surrounds them. How do you make them look as though they really exist?
On the left here is Mowbray Castle - one of the follies at Hackfall, a wilderness "garden" created by John and William Aislaby. The Aislabys also created the landscaping and follies at nearby Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.
Hackfall has undergone extensive restoration and much of its current popularity is down to the excellent work down by its warden Paul Mosley. Go and visit - its wonderful.
About two hundred years ago a craze seems to have started among the local aristos for building follies. Not tiny, one- off fripperies but bridges, castles and, just outside Masham, a stone temple with every imaginable bell and whistle.
From an artist's point of view they are fascinating and challenging. Challenging because they look so strange in the context of the landscape which surrounds them. How do you make them look as though they really exist?
On the left here is Mowbray Castle - one of the follies at Hackfall, a wilderness "garden" created by John and William Aislaby. The Aislabys also created the landscaping and follies at nearby Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.
Hackfall has undergone extensive restoration and much of its current popularity is down to the excellent work down by its warden Paul Mosley. Go and visit - its wonderful.
This pair of bridges are only a few miles apart and both feature in my July exhibition - Tales From The Dales.
This is Quarry Gill Bridge. Its on a little-used road which skirts the walls of Swinton Castle.
Its a Gothic wedding cake of a structure which spans a stream a mere few feet in width. The bridge stands on an old pack horse bridge - small, humble and efficient.
To come on this bridge, particularly in autumn when the surrounding beech trees are hung with gold, is amazing.
This is Quarry Gill Bridge. Its on a little-used road which skirts the walls of Swinton Castle.
Its a Gothic wedding cake of a structure which spans a stream a mere few feet in width. The bridge stands on an old pack horse bridge - small, humble and efficient.
To come on this bridge, particularly in autumn when the surrounding beech trees are hung with gold, is amazing.
This is Middleham Castle Bridge. Its not part of the castle - its just down the road and spans the River Ure. It was originally built as a suspension bridge but, unfortunately, wasn't quite up to coping with the weight of a herd of cows.
Mid-crossing the bridge collapsed landing the cows in the river. The bridge was rebuilt with a normal road deck but, fortunately, the distinctive towers were retained.
Mid-crossing the bridge collapsed landing the cows in the river. The bridge was rebuilt with a normal road deck but, fortunately, the distinctive towers were retained.
The big daddy of local follies has to be the Druid's Temple just outside Masham. Built by local folly-nut William Danby in the eighteenth century, it is an amalgam of every neolithic building feature. It has guard houses, a grotto, an altar and an enormous "phallus" stone! William advertised for and installed a hermit here for a while until the poor man deserted his post for good.
The local landowner has tried unsuccessfully for years to hide its existence, refusing to put up any signs leading to the folly. Consequently everyone knows where it is and it appears on countless websites dealing with the odd, the ancient and the para-normal.
I've got a couple more odd places to paint for the next exhibition and I'm looking forward to tackling them.
Exhibition details below.
The local landowner has tried unsuccessfully for years to hide its existence, refusing to put up any signs leading to the folly. Consequently everyone knows where it is and it appears on countless websites dealing with the odd, the ancient and the para-normal.
I've got a couple more odd places to paint for the next exhibition and I'm looking forward to tackling them.
Exhibition details below.
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If you want to follow me on Twitter CLICK HERE.
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Pendragon Castle
I’ve been collecting stories from the Yorkshire Dales for a while now in prepartion for an exhibition this summer. When I started asking for it didn’t take long to realise that some places attract legends like a hedgehog attracts fleas. Pendragon Castle is a case in point.
Pendragon Castle lies on the north western edge of the Dales in the shadow of Wild Boar Fell and the crumbling ruin sits on a mound in which a dragon lives. The castle’s name is well known from the legends of King Arthur. Uther Pendragon was Arthur’s father and was reputedly born here. That’s the first legend. Uther lost the castle when an enemy poisoned the castle well during a siege killing a hundred soldiers.
I’ve been collecting stories from the Yorkshire Dales for a while now in prepartion for an exhibition this summer. When I started asking for it didn’t take long to realise that some places attract legends like a hedgehog attracts fleas. Pendragon Castle is a case in point.
Pendragon Castle lies on the north western edge of the Dales in the shadow of Wild Boar Fell and the crumbling ruin sits on a mound in which a dragon lives. The castle’s name is well known from the legends of King Arthur. Uther Pendragon was Arthur’s father and was reputedly born here. That’s the first legend. Uther lost the castle when an enemy poisoned the castle well during a siege killing a hundred soldiers.
Wild Boar Fell
The castle was also home to Sir Hugh de Morville, one of Thomas Becket’s murderers. Sir Hugh was haunted by the similarity between the silhouette of Wild Boar Fell and the shape of Becket’s face in death. From the right angle the hill looks like the profile of a fallen man.
As if all this wasn’t sufficient for one ruin there is also a buried treasure which is guarded by a spectral black hen. As fast as a treasure hunter digs a hole the hen fills it back in.
So, for my forthcoming exhibition, I’ve been wrestling with how to portray this mysterious place. In the first painting I played with idea of an aura, using a halo effect to enclose the castle and echo the shape of the tree. In the second I drew my inspiration from the colours of the hen: black feathers, red wattle. And in the third I tried to bring an other-wordly, unreal feeling to the castle’s silhouette.
The castle was also home to Sir Hugh de Morville, one of Thomas Becket’s murderers. Sir Hugh was haunted by the similarity between the silhouette of Wild Boar Fell and the shape of Becket’s face in death. From the right angle the hill looks like the profile of a fallen man.
As if all this wasn’t sufficient for one ruin there is also a buried treasure which is guarded by a spectral black hen. As fast as a treasure hunter digs a hole the hen fills it back in.
So, for my forthcoming exhibition, I’ve been wrestling with how to portray this mysterious place. In the first painting I played with idea of an aura, using a halo effect to enclose the castle and echo the shape of the tree. In the second I drew my inspiration from the colours of the hen: black feathers, red wattle. And in the third I tried to bring an other-wordly, unreal feeling to the castle’s silhouette.
For Wild Boar Fell I wanted to capture to remote wildness of this high outpost of the Pennines and also something of the sadness that here was where the last wild boar in England was killed.
As an ensemble I hope they reflect the various legends of this little-visited corner of the Dales.
All the paintings will be on show at the eventual exhibition (see the poster - right).
As an ensemble I hope they reflect the various legends of this little-visited corner of the Dales.
All the paintings will be on show at the eventual exhibition (see the poster - right).
Tulips in Watercolour
For those interested in watercolour floral painting there are still a few places left on the course I’m teaching at Constable Burton. Run by Artison studios of Masham, the course includes a tour of the beautiful gardens and lovely Palladian house of Constable Burton as well as lunch. CLICK HERE for further details and to book a place.
For exhibition updates, pictures and other news please visit (and "Like") my Facebook page. You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter there. CLICK HERE to visit.
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Queen's College, Cambridge
Moonlight, Cambridge
Trinity Lane, Cambridge
I've spent much of the winter (when not working on paintings for my exhibition about stories from the Dales) making nine new screen prints of Cambridge.
I've had a long association with the wonderful gallery on Trinity Street - Cambridge Contemporary Art - which began with them selling my abstract paintings. Now they sell my screen prints.
I was very pleased when they asked me to produce some new work for an exhibition on Cambridge. It really is a lovely city. Here a few steps through a gateway from a busy shopping street can bring you into an ancient, shadowed courtyard. A short walk down a high walled lane will lead you to a medieval bridge over the shallow River Cam.
I decided from the outset that I wanted a mixture of images. In some I wanted to celebrate Cambridge's varied roofscape. In others, to focus on the city's more contemplative spaces. And, of course, there were particular architectural gems I just had to portray. One of my favourites is the court at Queen's College which has the most beautifully proportioned half-timbered building. While I was working on this piece I came across a photograph of a play being performed in the court showing one of Stephen Fry's first performances (he was a student at Queen's).
Evening, King's College
A few days ago I drove down with the pictures to Cambridge along with my daughter, Rosie Scott-Massie, who also is showing new work in the same exhibition and fellow artist, Josie Beszant. Despite a biting East wind we had a very enjoyable time in the city and, as always, discovered a couple of interesting bits we hadn't come across before.
I've had a long association with the wonderful gallery on Trinity Street - Cambridge Contemporary Art - which began with them selling my abstract paintings. Now they sell my screen prints.
I was very pleased when they asked me to produce some new work for an exhibition on Cambridge. It really is a lovely city. Here a few steps through a gateway from a busy shopping street can bring you into an ancient, shadowed courtyard. A short walk down a high walled lane will lead you to a medieval bridge over the shallow River Cam.
I decided from the outset that I wanted a mixture of images. In some I wanted to celebrate Cambridge's varied roofscape. In others, to focus on the city's more contemplative spaces. And, of course, there were particular architectural gems I just had to portray. One of my favourites is the court at Queen's College which has the most beautifully proportioned half-timbered building. While I was working on this piece I came across a photograph of a play being performed in the court showing one of Stephen Fry's first performances (he was a student at Queen's).
Evening, King's College
A few days ago I drove down with the pictures to Cambridge along with my daughter, Rosie Scott-Massie, who also is showing new work in the same exhibition and fellow artist, Josie Beszant. Despite a biting East wind we had a very enjoyable time in the city and, as always, discovered a couple of interesting bits we hadn't come across before.
The Round Church, Cambridge
Rosie Scott-Massie
Rosie Scott-Massie
So the prints are all finished and the exhibition is open from 6/4/13 to 28/4/13. Information and opening times can be found on Cambridge Contemporary Art's website. To see the new prints please CLICK HERE.
If Cambridge is a long way to go do call into the Masham Gallery where a large selection of my paintings and prints is always available.
If Cambridge is a long way to go do call into the Masham Gallery where a large selection of my paintings and prints is always available.
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I'm teaching, in May, at this beautiful country house between Leyburn and Bedale in North Yorkshire. Artison are running some courses there. This course fee includes an excellent lunch, a tour of the gorgeous gardens and a tour of Constable Burton Hall itself.
I'm enclosing below Artison's poster for the courses. If you wish to book a course click on the image and it will take you to the Artison site.
I'm enclosing below Artison's poster for the courses. If you wish to book a course click on the image and it will take you to the Artison site.
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This Friday, the 22nd March, at 7.30 in the evening, sees the preview of 35 - an exhibition of the work of John Degnan who is celebrating thirty five years as a professional artist. The venue is the Masham Gallery in Masham Market Place, North Yorkshire, HG4 4EB. Please come if you would like to see more of the work of this wonderful artist.
Throughout his career John has portrayed the people and places of North East England: cathedrals, antique shops, sheep, tractors, trains and the varied landscape of the Tees Valley.
I was delighted to be asked to write the book which accompanies the exhibition and tells of John's beginnings and gradual development as an artist. The book - also entitled 35 - is to be launched at the preview.
John and I both grew to our trade in Durham in the late 1970s - a great creative period for the arts - and I have long been an admirer of his work. His lovely painting of Durham Cathedral cloisters hangs in my teaching room and I enjoy looking at it every day.
The book contains virtually all the work from this substantial exhibition which shows John's considerable talents as a painter, printmaker and carver.
For further details CLICK HERE
Throughout his career John has portrayed the people and places of North East England: cathedrals, antique shops, sheep, tractors, trains and the varied landscape of the Tees Valley.
I was delighted to be asked to write the book which accompanies the exhibition and tells of John's beginnings and gradual development as an artist. The book - also entitled 35 - is to be launched at the preview.
John and I both grew to our trade in Durham in the late 1970s - a great creative period for the arts - and I have long been an admirer of his work. His lovely painting of Durham Cathedral cloisters hangs in my teaching room and I enjoy looking at it every day.
The book contains virtually all the work from this substantial exhibition which shows John's considerable talents as a painter, printmaker and carver.
For further details CLICK HERE
John Degnan at work in his studio.
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Racing Green, above, was based on sketches in which I was trying to capture the atmosphere of horses training at Middleham. Every morning long strings of thoroughbreds make their way from the town's stables up to the gallops. Here, overlooking the long sweep of Coverdale, the riders put the horses through their paces. It a wonderful sight. Racing Green is a limited edition print which was published as a set of fifty copies which are now nearly all gone. Only a handful remain.
The same is true of The Steam Rally, Masham. The original painting from which this print was taken was painted for an exhibition about Masham Market Place which was held in Masham church a few years ago.
The highlight of every Steam Rally, which takes place on a field just outside Masham, is when the engines are driven into the square on the Saturday evening. Here, as the sun slants through the trees and the smoke and the steam, admirers of the lovely old engines walk through their steaming ranks.
The Kings Head usually does a good trade on this evening, as does the fish and chip shop, so the steam fans are usually carrying a pint of ale in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. Its a very English event.
If you would like to enquire about either of these prints please CLICK HERE which will take you to the Masham Gallery, which handles these prints for me.
My March newsletter is currently available to read online. CLICK HERE to be taken there.
The highlight of every Steam Rally, which takes place on a field just outside Masham, is when the engines are driven into the square on the Saturday evening. Here, as the sun slants through the trees and the smoke and the steam, admirers of the lovely old engines walk through their steaming ranks.
The Kings Head usually does a good trade on this evening, as does the fish and chip shop, so the steam fans are usually carrying a pint of ale in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. Its a very English event.
If you would like to enquire about either of these prints please CLICK HERE which will take you to the Masham Gallery, which handles these prints for me.
My March newsletter is currently available to read online. CLICK HERE to be taken there.
Updates about new paintings and prints, exhibitions and art courses appear every few days on my Artist's Facebook page. By visiting and clicking the LIKE button, news will magically appear on your own Facebook feed. CLICK HERE for a visit.