From a small rowing boat, I’ve been making drawings, working continuously along the mile straight in the tidal waters of the river Wye. I have made one a month on the highest tides throughout 2023. The river allows me about 45 minutes before the turning tide makes it necessary to get home. Going upstream, the river carries me past an outcrop of rock with stunted oak trees growing out of it. The rock and the oak trees put me in mind of typical Chinese landscapes painting. I try to include the rock within the marks I make while passing – these are sketchy at best because there is never enough time. I use watercolour pencils with the paper kept wet by repeated dipping in the river. When the tide turns I am carried back downstream and after passing the rock I have to concentrate on getting Spot, my boat, back home.
The picture below shows the rock at low tide. I’ve inserted a brown line across the picture to show the level of the river when I’m drawing on the high tide. This would be about 11m above the low water seen here.
I will continue this series until December and then decide whether to continue with the project or not.
