It’s that time of year when the Blubells are out in full glory. I popped over to Ashridge near Ivinghoe Beacon to do a couple of colour studies. Looking at them now I think they might need a little tlc to get them fully resolved but I think the basics are there OK. I thought it might be worth showing a couple of pieces that weren’t finished as such. I had some of Klimt’s tree studies in the back of my mind when considering the compositional possibilities.

My main aim though was to avoid the ‘chocolate box’ view and give a sense of being there at that moment. It was the colours, lines and patterns of light that sparked my interest more than anything. The place was teaming with tourists and I had to work partly from observation and partly from memory as the light kept changing all the time. One minute a tree was lit up and the next it would be in full shadow!