J.A.C. on Tour
Walking 'En Plein-air' with an Ipad - @WalkingPaint
J.A.C Lake District Tour: May 2013
5 Days of Pure Joy
It was a wonderfully relaxing adventure I have taken many times- but this time I took some additional kit (my Ipad) via which I was able to render paintings of the Lakes 'en plein-air', in addition to my pencil sketches. The results of which can be seen below. I hope you enjoy them. It was a pleasure creating them. To see the paintings hover your mouse over the paintings and click the spyglass symbol.
Please undertake the Tour yourself, you will enjoy it. Below the paintings are some useful links. And if you need any more information just get in touch.
Facebook: facebook.com/jacswork
Twitter: @jacswork
Tour Location in the UK
You can access it by train from anywhere in the UK. It starts from Windermere Railway Station and takes in 42 miles of the region's best views and is a great 'long weekend' walk. We arrived Thursday pm and left Monday pm.
Walking Route
It has 5 elements. 1. Windermere to High Close (8 miles). 2. High close to Grasmere, via the Seargent Man & High Raise (12 miles). 3. Grasmere to Patterdale via Grisdale Tarn (7 miles). 4. Patterdale to Troutbeck , via High Street (11 miles). 5. Troutbeck to Windermere (4 miles)
Painting Points
Above is a map showing the locations where the paintings below were rendered.
These locations are excellent points for any artist to stop for 30 minutes during the this tour and render their journey to memory and art.
Day 1
1. The 'Tern' boats view of High Street
We arrived just after 12 noon and wandered through the town to Windermere Lake Cruises. A wonderful journey on their boat 'The Tern' gave a unique view of the fells around the lake and a view of the hill range we would finish our journey on - High Street roughly north of Windermere
2. The 'Tern' boats view of the Langdales
Our next day was going to be spent in and around Great Langdale and right on queue the heavens opened and highlighted where we would be walking the next day.
3. Nanny Brow
As the cruise came into Waterhead, refreshed with a cup of tea, we looked north and were greeted with a wonderful view of Nanny Brow: under which we would walk on our way to High Close
4. Gilbert Scar
On disembarking at Waterhead, we headed towards Ambleside for 5 minutes then stopped and looked right (54.421N, 2.965W). If you do the same, Gilbert Scar and Loughrigg is what you will see. As is often the case when you begin a walk conversations about previous visits took over and before we knew it we found ourselves dropping down to Elterwater from Loughrigg Tarn (great location to camp).
5. Langdale Sunburst
After dinner and couple of Jennings beers courtesy of the Britannia Inn in Elterwater we meandered our way to Langdale YHA up the hill at High Close. Gravity had by this time somehow doubled and my 5 days kit (and the hill) slowed my ascent. I am glad it did because half way up the hill I turned around (54.438N, 3.026W) and faced west. The last vestiges of light illuminated the gap between Lingmoor fell and the Langdale Pikes and the need to paint took hold.
6. Langdale Evening
With such wonderful light I found myself sat on my rucksack for hours painting and sketching and it was with considerable reluctance that I walked up the hill in the dark to the Langdale YHA Hostel. It was no small surprise to be delighted by the vast grandeur of the colonial style mansion that is the Langdale YHA. It is at this moment that it became clear that its veranda offered better views of the Langdales than my rucksack had done, and I vowed to get up early the next day to see what views it would provide.
Day 2
7. Langdale Light
5 a.m. is never a good time for me. However, bolstered by a strong English breakfast tea I open the wood shuttered window leading to the Veranda. Lucky man (I thought) and soaked up the light that emerged. If you have seen any of my work you will know I love sunrise and sunsets. This morning the Lake District sky's played around with light and roughly painted the area in spooky shades.
8. High Close Morning
Third cup of team into the morning and Loughrigg, fell into darkness. A cold chill took over my shoulders and east from High Close the sky threatened to spoil the mornings painting. But the weather report for the day rang true and the morning sun began to burn away the cloud - not before I found the need to retire to my bed to warm up.
9. Cumbrian Way
If you have never taken in the art work of the Alfred Heaton Cooper, do so. (Go to the permanent gallery in Grasmere). Then on a sunny morning stand on the Cumbria Way (54.439N, 3.058W) and look North West - towards Pike of Stickle. You will see his painting 'Langdale Pike and Oak Howe Farm' come to life before your eyes. I did, and again, I had to stop to paint.
10. Dungeon Ghyll
Just before lunch we stopped at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel for refreshment (another great place to camp) before our first climb of the day to Stickle tarn. Just up from the Hotel (54.45N,3.092W) Looking west Gimmer, White and East Raven Crags were bathed in light and the promise of spring became apparent from the lush and varied greens that fought to make themselves known. I knew that the following days weather was set to be poor, so like a vulture I scavenged a painting before reminding myself how little walking I had done of late as I stumbled up the track to Stickle Tarn.
11. Pavey Ark
I must admit I do not know who Pavey is/was. But they should be thanked for giving the cliff of rock that emerges before Stickle tarn (54.457N, 3.099w) such an apt name. It is easily accessible and well worth a visit on its own. It rises at an angle of around 80 degrees from the tarn and reminds one of a little Jungfrau. This said it is equally as beautiful, and one does not need to travel to Switzerland or spend 2 hours on a train to get to its base. Once in its shadow we all noticed something relatively unique for the Lakes. No air movement, and with it a silence and stillness fell upon us: like the reverence one shows in a holy place. So much so, we decided to walk around the tarn for a cup of tea and some Kendal Mint Cake to live ourselves up.
12. Stickle Tarn
I often like to lighten the load of my back pack by eating the goodies contained therein. Alas the Kendal mint cake was contained in my walking companion's ruck sack. Top tip buy, the chocolate covered version it makes the sweetness of the cake more palatable. Armed with a caffeine and sugar rush, I managed to crack out what I think is my favourite painting this year, 'Stickle Tarn'. The process of preparing it answers the question I regularly get asked 'why do you prefer to paint digitally'. Well, for me, painting is a reason to look more intently. The action of rendering a white page into a what I see and feel is a bonus: made easier by not having to mix paints or waste drinking water cleaning brushes.
13. View from Sergeant Man
I had never been to the hill know as Seargant man (54.471N, 3.104W). I had however stood on the top of Europe highest peaks. It was therefore uplifting to be greeted with one of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen. At only 750 m above sea level its peak offered, on this clear day a panoramic view of the lakes that must be un-matched. I say this apprehensively. Because if visiting the Lake District has taught me anything it is that wonderful places arise constantly, and like an accomplished conjurer the weather reveals or masks the beauty of the place, tempting you to come back to see the show again in the hope of seeing new delights.
14. East from Low White Stones/High Raise
At this point (54.481N, 3.109W) one of the paradoxes of the lakes was brought into sharp relief. We had only walked 1km North across the plateau of High Raise to Low White Stones when to the East the weather front that was to cover the lakes for the next two days came into view. Slowly and surely snuffing out the light over the eastern fells of Yewbarrow, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and then Bowfell. We escaped the 5 p.m. 'bed time' for the eastern fells and headed west towards Grasmere Common.
15. From Greenup Edge to Fairfield
From High Raise one can see Grasmere Lake. Yet it is a steady one hour decent to reach it. Before our decent at Flour Gill (54.485N, 3.1W ) just down from Greenup Edge light behind us bathed Dollywaggon Pike and Fairfield in a wonderful late evening red glow. Little did we suspect that that would be the last we would see of those hilltops for the remainder of our trip. Ahead of us in Grasmere was the wonderful YHA Hostel (a must for young families). A fabulous welcome at the Bridge House Hotel was had later that evening, were supporters of my SeenSend project (www.bit.ly/artgratis) had kindly gathered to put faces to Twitter personalities.
Day 3 & 4
16. Grasmere from Grisdale Tarn
I will tell anyone that will listen that the Lake District is one of the few places in the world that looks beautiful even when it is raining. I say this in the knowledge that this presupposes you have the right kit and attitude for bad weather situations. We had always planned this walk to take in the Dollywaggon, Nethermost, Helvellyn and Whiteside peaks but it became clear as we looked back towards Grasmere over Riggs Crags from below Fairfield Brow (54.495N, 3.005W) that our plan needed to change. So we decided to change direction at Grisdale Tarn and head straight to Patterdale.
17. Falcon and Dollywaggon Mists
Turning away from my original goal is something I always find difficult, yet it took only one look back and up from al little after Grisdale Tarn (54.509N, 2.998W) to see what remained of Falcon Crag and Dollywaggon Pike to know that our original journey would have been like walking on a treadmill with a blindfold. As we headed down Grisdale Brow towards Patterdale we were overtaken by numerous enthusiastic ladies and gentlemen supporters of www.helpforheroes.org.uk who remarked about the weight of our backpacks as they shot down the hill towards the finish of their charity event in the valley below (and what we later discovered was the warmth and hospitality of their beer tent)
18. Angle Tarn toward the Knott
On day 4 we rose from Patterdale up to Boredale Hause (54.532N, 2.917W) in beautiful sunshine, armed with a weather report promising a rising cloud base. Yet with little wind, we soon realised as looked out from Angle Tarn towards the The Knott that the chances of seeing the valley floor would be limited. In these situations the promise of a glimpse of what you know is the beauty around you is what drives you on, and moments of sparing sunlight like that falling upon the Knott I scrambled to consume in paint.
Day 4 & 5
19. The Knott toward Mardale & High Street
Top tip when in the mists, talk less, check your compass often and trust the existence of stone walls (those solid black line on the map) before the path you see below your feet (as in the lakes new 'footpaths' are trod regularly that do not appear on maps). I say this in the knowledge that we did neither. We followed our feet left off High Street and ended up at 'Mardale in the Mists'. So we retraced our steps till we found the end of the wall on Racecourse hill, took a compass bearing which we followed, and found ourselves back on High Street. 'Remember walls & Compass, walls & compass' I subsequently babbled to myself like somebody who perhaps was better placed in a secure unit.
20. Park Fell to Windermere
Just off High Street onto Park Fell (54.467N, 2.881W) we started to down beneath the clouds. Joy of joys there was Windermere. Off came the rucksack and my travelling companion had to sit (again) for 30 minutes as I scribbled my finger over my Ipad like some deranged father type flicking through a TV remote control: hoping to find something interesting to watch on Southern Fells TV. I am glad to say was able to capture what my walking companion had hoped for all day - view of Windermere from near high street. And it is to him that I dedicate this painting (for his patience if nothing else)
21. Low Wood Sunset
The night before our departure we wandered down to see the sunset over Windermere at the Low Wood Hotel (a fantastic old coaching house). Like a ravenous pair of reptiles we soaked up the sun till it finally tucked itself behind the Western fells. Like gods we awoke the next day to be greeted by a restaurant in the Windermere YHA which has a tremendous perspective West over Ambleside and the Furness, Lingmoor and Langdale fells. I have not seen a view like it since wild camping on Wansfell as a child. It brought wonderful memories back to me as did the rather delicious 'Full English Breakfast' we treated ourselves to before taking in Orrest head on our way to the railway station. On the subject of Orrest Head I would like to raise an important point. If you decide not to replicate this tour take a train to Windermere and climb Orrest head (a small hill less than a mile from the railway station). Then sit on one its many benches and look South, West and North - I doubt you will want to leave, and you will come back soon.
Before you go to the Lakes consider...
J.A.C. Welsh Mountain Tour: March 2013
Touring Wales
I was recently inspired to undertake a 5 day walking trip in Wales after visiting Turner Painting exhibition at the National Museum in Cardiff. On my way out I picked up a guide book: Mountain Wales. On reviewing this wonderful guide I thought, 'why not take your Ipad for a walk'. So I did. The Ipad paintings the journey inspired are shown below and referenced to the pages in the guide book.
I am pleased to report that the Ipad had a wonderful time and so did I. If you take the same journey be assured you will to.
P.S. Go prepared. I chose to travel from South to North Wales during the coldest winter in 30 years and was thankful for some prior preparation and planning.
Pen Allt Mawr
The Black Mountains, South Wales. Page 9.
Skirrid
The Black Mountains, South Wales. Page . 9
Pen y Fan
The Brecon Beacons, South Wales. Page 12
Cadair Idris
Southern Snowdonia, North Wales. Page. 21
Snowdon
Snowdonia, North Wales. Page 24
Mynydd Tal y Mignedd
Snowdonia, North Wales. Page 32
Pen Yr Ole Wen
Snowdonia, North Wales. Page 39
Y Garn
Snowdonia, North Wales. Page 40
llanberis
Snowdonia, North Wales. Page 46
Prior preparation and planning
Working with J.A.C.
Email: paul.w@seensend.com
Website: www.seensend.com
Phone: +44 (0) 207 193 2201
Facebook: facebook.com/jacswork
Twitter: @jacswork