Painting above the Rio Gedel, Casares Andalucia (1)

Earlier in the day I had spent a few hours,

from 11 am until 5 pm developing some smaller

works on the river side, a beautiful day.

(These are still the subject of another blog on the river. )

On my way down, during the morning, into the valley

I drove down through Juniper and Olive

trees along a narrow and winding road.

My thoughts had been on the river.

With my eyes on the road and the occasional

flash of a distant view down the valley

towards San Roque or upwards to Gaucin

and really I had noticed nothing special.

On my way back it was to be a different

story, whether it was the change of direction

that I was travelling in, the effect of bright light

on the wild flowers or my more relaxed attention

to the road as I drove slowly upwards.

Whatever, the track now seemed a riot

of colour and pack full of possibilities. I

could visual the palette knife and brush

strokes of bright yellows, muted whites cobalt’s

and distant violets and mauves. I stopped at a

small gravelled area, and quickly set up my

easel and canvas at the boot of my estate car.

Here are the results of work in progress.