This painting is full of water. There’s a lake, a waterfall and river, islands surrounded by water and a bridge spanning it. The idea has its origin in My Dream Farm, in which the notion of waterways forming the structure of the composition was an experiment with a happy outcome, and so I stole a little of the topography I invented for that painting to make the foundation for this one. (I apologise for the poor quality of the following photographs. Just couldn’t get the lighting right this evening. Everything looks too acidic.)
Here at Ty Isaf we stand above the River Ystwyth, which invariably breaks its banks in the spring and winter storms. Our neighbour’s riverside fields become lakes for the duration, and so there is indeed the sense from time to time that the house stands above a landscape of water and islands, and perhaps that’s where I got the idea.
Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Artlog: 
Looks quite beautiful Clive – undercurrents and narratives, excellent.
Thank you Julia. Just two days to go at the easel before this one has to leave, and long days at that. Sigh. Am I ready for a break from work. This has been one long year.
yes–i was thinking, so many deadlines for you this year! poor clive, but it’s been such a treat for us 😉
Clive, I had a dream about Jack, dangling from that harness! Good luck with your race to the finish, and may your knees and back hold up. You’ll deserve some fine single malt after this, or whatever your favorite libation may be.
I lift him by that harness from time to time, but I wouldn’t trust it as his sole support if we were flying!
Single malt puts me to sleep, so I’d better not hit the bottle until I’m through with this painting! (-;
oh, i’m so worried about your poor knees!
i love the landscape of that farm, and what a fantastic idea to begin peopling it, filling it with stories. 🙂
all i can think is that there you are, in that miraculous place (that you’re creating), creating another miraculous place!
it’s amazing…
The knees are holding up Zoe. I keep changing position and no damage has been done. Not pleasant though, so I’ll be glad to be through. But I tell you I’m not attempting a painting as big as this one again until the new studio has been completed. With the lofty ceiling we plan I’ll be able to raise the easel to its highest setting.
Some big changes planned for the painting today. Ho hum!