Back to the watercolours. This latest one shows the Lion and Snake pub on Bailgate in Lincoln. This is a lovely old 16th century pub, with the magnificent western towers of Lincoln Cathedral rising up behind it. I published a drawing of this in an earlier post.
Chapter House, Lincoln Cathedral
Statue of Tennyson, Lincoln Cathedral
Side Door, Lincoln Cathedral
Watercolour on watercolour paper, 11 3/4" x 8 1/4"
This door is tucked away on the south side of the cathedral. I'm really pleased with this painting. I think I've made it interesting, but not overwhelmed it with detail. In fact a lot of the detail is merely suggested.
Lincoln Cathedral from Michaelgate
Watercolour on watercolour paper, 11 3/4" x 8 1/4"
For this painting, I moved out onto Michaelgate a street leading up to the cathedral. Because the cathedral is on a hill, it can be seen from most parts of the city. Here you can see the two Western Towers peeking above the grade 2 listed cottage. This cottage is owned by Lincoln City Coucil and rented out by the National Trust as a holiday cottage.
"I wos here", Lincoln CathedralWatercolour on Watercolour paper, 8 1/4" x 11 3/4"
This painting shows a detail of the stonework and part of a door on the West Front of the cathedral. The West Front is the only remaining part of the original Norman cathedral (around 1072). These wonderful, enigmatic faces were so attractive that I just had to paint them.
When I enlarged the photo I had taken as the basis for the painting, I realised that someone had scrawled "I wos here" on the stonework (you see this more clearly if you enlarge the painting). This seemed to me a rather philosophical statement to make on a religious building. Also I felt that the words somehow echoed the "statement" those medieval craftsmen were making with their carvings. After all the carvings are in a way the signatures of the craftsmen who created them. "They were here" all those centuries ago
Snow Around The Western Towers, Lincoln CathedralAs the exhibition is taking place during the theatre's production of A Christmas Carol, I thought it would be appropriate to include at least one snow scene. I always find snow in lanscapes tricky to handle. I want to avoid the too obvious Christmas card snow scene cliche, but at the same time achieve that attractive softness that we associate with snow (at least when we are looking at out of the window of a warm and snug room).
Hopefully I have acheived that with this work.
Here is the development of the painting.
The Refectory, Lincoln Cathedral
Watercolour on watercolour paper, 8 1/4" x 11 3/4"
Two visitors are taking a well earned rest outside the cathedral refectory. It's such a long trudge around those cathedral cloisters!
