Water And Fire

Recently one morning coming out of the very low cloud up on Oxenhope Moor into a sudden bright world of blue and sunshine, the vapour looking like smoke boiling up from the valley.

Cloud moving upwards

A few days later, not to be outdone by Nature's harmless spectacle, the keepers of 'game' must pollute an unblemished sky with their acrid heather burning, the plume of which flew out all along the tops before curling down into the valley.

smoke moving down

And I was left wondering at the circularity of things and shamed by an artist's fascination with the shapeshifting splendour of big smoke.

Late Summer Flora

Last week was a true 'Indian Summer' in the Calder Valley with misty mornings and dazzling afternoons. The growing time is almost over...

Cotton Grass on Black Pebble

One of my Cotton Grass prints collaged onto a salvaged block of wood (from when we had a new studio staircase put in). The block is standing on a plate by Poole Pottery, designed by Robert Jefferson in the late 1950s and called Black Pebble. I love Black Pebble and use a set at home but this plate is badly chipped; I couldn't face binning it, so it lives in my studio.

Frightened Lake

Despite a long silence on here, the Widdop obsession continues unabated. As I've mentioned elsewhere Ted Hughes aptly described Widdop Reservoir as a 'Frightened Lake' in part connected with its isolation I think, but also to do with the peculiar way the water shivers under the ruthless wind that furrows it from nose to tail.

This is a current large drawing based on a tiny sketch done in August 2012. I'm trying to get it finished and framed in time for the Open Studios weekend in Hebden Bridge  3, 4 & 5 July (next weekend in fact).

I will be opening my space at Brooklyn Studios despite not being in the brochure this year. I thought I'd be away but things have worked out differently. It will be good to have a Widdop drawing dominating the wall

SUNTANGLE

TWIG MESH

SKY STUDIO IN THE SNOW

Rejecting the conventional art tools in my kit, I selected from the natural range provided by Sky Studio this afternoon. Here's a close-up of some twiggy marks.

The decor in the studio this week is a refreshing moss green and snow white offset by neutrals in russet and fawn.

The heating has been off for quite a while so a certain degree of physical bravery is called for alongside a rapid sketching style.

Sky Studio is all about being in the now, and there's no point in worrying too much about making a 'good' drawing; its enough to just be there doing it.

SUN AND SNOW OVER HEPTONSTALL

Had to force myself out from the warm today to get some fresh air. I'm so glad I did. Climbing up through Spring Wood the world quickly disappeared under a big grey snow storm and then just as swiftly it swept past leaving the boiling sun in a serene blue sky.

WHITEOUT

SKY STUDIO

Some views from Sky Studio this morning and a very hasty sketch from a wobbly perch.

EPHEMERAL DRAWINGS 3

A new drawing on my blackboard. This one's based on some photos I took of a snowy Hebden Bridge last year. Snow... beautiful but it makes everything so slippery in our damp little valley.

GOODBYE chalkboard drawing its time for a change

Surprised at how painless it was to wipe away my chalk drawing even though I felt it was quite a  successful rendering of moorland and clouds.

MY STUDIO SPACE (unusually tidy)

In my tiny little studio space I do drawing, printmaking, painting and paper engineering with all the associated tools and materials. Sometimes I can hardly turn round there's so much stuff to be stored. So it takes a huge effort to make it suitably tidy and safe to allow people in for open studios. For a couple of days the space is lovely and calm and then it all unravels again...

FESTIVE OPEN STUDIOS WEEKEND DECEMBER 6 & 7

Its time for the seasonal celebrations at my base in Brooklyn Studios in Hebden Bridge and we are once again holding our annual Festive Open Weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday, 6 & 7 December, 11 am to 5 pm.

FESTIVE OPEN STUDIOS WEEKEND 6 & 7 DECEMBER 11.00 - 5.00

BROOKLYN STUDIOS, HEBDEN BRIDGE HX7 7DD

It will be lovely to see old friends and new. As usual I'll be making my famous Brooklyn Mulled Cider to keep  the cold at bay but this year there will also be alcohol-free hot apple punch as an alternative for drivers and those being sensible!

I will be showing a wide variety of my work including new large charcoal drawings as well as some old favourites and a range of highly affordable small prints.

EPHEMERAL DRAWINGS 2

A set of slate writing tablets with chalk drawings of clouds. Thinking about contrasts; clouds so nebulous and soft seeming; slate so tangible and fixed.

The initial idea was about simply making pale clouds on a dark ground but the ones I like best are the dark clouds.

These were on show in the Sunday Schoolroom at Wainsgate Chapel during September.

SOLO EXHIBITION AT THE BINGLEY GALLERY

Excited because tonight is the preview of my solo show at the Bingley Gallery - Wednesday 8th October 7 - 9 pm.

The exhibition is titled All The World Is Smoke And Shadow and is open from 9th October to 2nd November.  The text on the invite reads:

"A new series of drawings, painting and prints by Calderdale artist Angie Rogers, responding to the experience of the transient and the intangible within the South Pennine landscape.

Celebrating the mutability of all aspects of landscape whether man-made or wild, with an acute observation and deep knowledge derived from decades of walking in the South Pennines, Angie finds freedom in the constant dissolving and remixing of light, atmosphere and matter, allowing each day to spring new surprises in a familiar yet never fully knowable environment."

The main feature is the series of fairly large charcoal drawings I've been working on up at Wainsgate Chapel all year.  I'm looking forward to seeing how they look in a gallery setting with their custom-mixed, grey painted wood frames.

The gallery is at 29 Park Road, Bingley BD16 4BQ and is owned and run by lovely Jane Fielder, well known for her beautiful watercolour paintings.