Box Hill and Michelham

With such glorious weather this weekend, we decided to go to Box Hill for a walk - Ian wanted to revisit the 'Gallops' but  as the signage has been altered ( my excuse, nothing to do with my map reading!) we headed into Michelham instead. This wonderful old screen to the church door (relocated to  a rustic arch in the graveyard)   is even more weathered than when  I painted it in my sketchbook ten years ago. I was relieved to see it still there.  

We had our picnic lunch in my favourite spot on the South facing meadow  with views of Burford Spur and the vineyards beyond - just look at the shadows under those trees!
I  christened a new sketchbook with a couple of bad watercolours using my 'mint' paintbox, trying to capture the purple haze around these birch trees. One of the charms of revisiting is that there's always something new to see in even familiar views

After a pint of 'Seafarers Ale'  at the 'Running Horses' pub opposite the church  in Michelham we walked a smart pace back to the station  along part of the 'Mole Gap Trail' crossing backwards and forward under and over the railway line, making good use of the kissing gates!   Back in London, we were ready for our £6.95 veggie curry  buffet at Ravi Shankar (especially masala dosas with coconut chutney ), bath and bed by 9pm!

 

Stepping Stones

 In the 1990's, on a watercolour course at Juniper Hall ( which I left early as the tutor was so awful), I painted the stepping stones across the River Mole, catching sight of a mink strutting along the bank. I was trying to capture the difference in movement in water either side of the concrete 'stones' (and  wishing I hadn't taken the subject on given the difficulties in accurate perspective)

 A different view yesterday when we revisited Box Hill  although still interesting differences in water movement despite submerged stones

 It started out bright and sunny, if a bit muddy toiling up the steps from the river to the viewpoint. But just after we'd had our lunch on a bench overlooking distant  hills, admiring the cloud formations, just contemplating getting my watercolours out, it started to rain. As it wasn't forecast, we'd only brought light waterproofs - and we found the zip had gone on Ian's. In our haste to get down Burford Spur to the train, Ian took a tumble and got coated in mud  (bit shaken and sore  but otherwise ok) -  luckily I had a bit of plastic beachmat to protect the seats on the  train. No curry buffet this week - straight home for a good soak in the bath with a glass of 'Hever' ( homemade sloe gin!) 

More Silk Paper

 Margaret beat me to it in using supplies from George Weil!  Time to experiment in between baking 2 batches of rolls, making soup and cleaning the kitchen and bathroom . All before 4.30 when we set out to the Cadogan Hall via Pizza Express for a benefit concert in aid of Medicins San Frontiere.

 This one used cocoon strippings on one side, throwsters waste on the other, both containing  natural sericin. The thowsters waste gives an interesting texture but definately not so well behaved as the cocoon strippings - perhaps best used trapped between layers

 I like the irregular grid of the builders scrim ( and it gives a sturdy product) - I could see me exploring this one further with potential for both paint and stitch

 A broken dyed skeleton leaf gives a more ethereal effect.

Perhaps I should incorporate some of the 'old man's beard' collected at Box Hill last weekend ( more posts soon on how I'm trying to record my walks there)

More Circle Compositions

 E

 F

G

Thanks for your useful comments on my choice for circle compositions. I did go away and print some more and try overlapping some of the circles ( E and F above- ignore the red pin!). Then I asked Ian for his opinion - he said A because of the tonal range and suggestion of circles, that it was the most abstract. 

So modifications of that and D to produce G. 

Think I'll leave them on the design wall to mellow for a while a la EB .  Off to Box Hill again tomorrow - weather forecast looks set to blow the cobwebs away.

A lick of Paint

 Of the wonderful peeling paint at Boxhill and West Humble Railway Station ( seen above in it's glory days), all that remains is fragments on the floor.

 It's been repainted in the livery of Southern Railway -green and yellow.

 At least the station has retained other gems like this 'Ghost House' a bit like the one in Lille I based a Journal Quilt on.

Box Hill

 The rain held off and we finally made it to Box Hill to begin building our walking stamina for Crete in April. A combination of the 'Short Walk' and 'Nature Walk' brought us to my favourite bit of chalk grassland  with views over the ridge we'd puffed up and distant vistas of Surrey vines.

 This spot has provided inspiration for a couple of Journal Quilts - in March 2005, and later in the season October 2008.

 Although I'd brought sketching materials, it was  too cold to draw so concentrated on taking photos.

 A few whimsical like the Tower with a quiff and the moss bird

But mainly rather blurry closeups of textures and shapes (the light levels were low)
I loved the white swirls of old-mans beard against the dark branches.
Then cheeks glowing back to London for a £6.95 veggie curry  buffet at Ravi Shanker's on Drummond Street. Now I'm ready for a bath and early night.