Kim Atkinson

July 18, 2020

SPRING ON THE COAST, PEN LLYN

I am writing this in mid July, referring back to the notebooks, and firstly the pages for the 1st May.
This begins with the continuing collaboration of Season Paintings with Noelle Griffiths, but this time because of the Covid related travel restrictions we decided each to work in our own habitat rather than meet as usual, but each to make a painting for the other.
Pen y Cil at the end of Llyn is craggy, blocky dolerite, with all surfaces encrusted by lichens of many varieties, colour and texture. There are mosses here too but only species which can withstand salt and desication in summer.

Diary Afternoon, May 1st :-
The sea a blue green wedge, the grass a green-ochre opposing wedge, the ground I'm on is warm and starred by Squill, edged by Stonecrop, sunburned. Tired grey old seeds on Heather and Ling.
West wind at my back, the sun too.
" Pip-it " calls of Pipits.
All is blue today.

May 1st- Pen y Cil Cirrus, and cumulus along the Ceredigion mountains

The round-square rock beside me is a landscape: fields of lichen, valleys, forests of Ramallina lichen.
First the deep cobalt, and a strip of the indigo I made myself from pigments, across the top. Reds of Stonecrops. Sepia. Discovering again the reason for the painting is the ground beneath and not the whole landscape opening out.
Cirrus forms in the pure cobalt sky.
Later, dark grey cloud looms out of the south-west, the wind gets up and now snatches the painting away, have to chase it more than once.
Get home as a shower begins.

Lichens on Pen y Cil 1

Lichens on Pen y Cil 2

CHOUGHS AND WHEATEARS

There has been a flock of up to 50 Choughs roosting on the cliffs, and feeding together on the cliff turf. Presumably these are non-breeders, young birds perhaps.
I have drawn them with the brush because the shapes when their wings are half-closed in the updraft, or folded in a swoop are iresistable. I like their dangling feet, and the way they flourish wingtips in an upward flick on landing before settling down to preen.

Choughs at their evening roost site on sea cliffs


Linnets, Choughs, Meadow Pipit, Wheatears and a sunbathing Rabbit

Wheatears on land, Gannets at sea. 13th April,2020 Wheatears arrive in good numbers on the cliffs and vie for territories, yet very few finally pair and produce young. A dilemma- to paint them without causing distrubance. I have to settle away from the birds, hidden among the crags and work with remembered glimpses of the birds.

Wheatear 1 A series of paintings made on the cliffs, encounters with Wheaters , using torn paper stencils and gouache and chalk. All are about 35cm square.