The Art of England - Drawings and Prints

Creake Abbey illustration

Such a hot English day. The sun beats down from above on the ruins of this ancient abbey in North Creake and has done at least as far back as 1206. Nelson was born less than a mile to the North.

And I read with interest on the information board that a devastating fire tore trough the Abbey in c.1484, and, for once it seems, our Henry is innocent.

I settled down with sketchpad on a crumbling pillar, and captured the timelessness of the Abbey with this illustration.

The odd tourist was dwarfed by the still-present magnificence of its Norman crossing arch and its high walls (at least) still sheltered its flock with huge diagonal chunks of cooling shadow.

Creake Abbey

Original illustration of Creake Abbey, Norfolk
12' x 9" pen and marker sketch on 140lb water colour paper available from:
The Artmonger
21 North Street
Burnham Market
Norfolk
United Kingdom
PE31 8HG
+44 (0)1328 730 370
www.theartmonger.co.uk

© Robert R Wisdom www.theartofengland.co.uk 2012

Morning dew at the Windmill illustration

An early morning drive to a recommended place of charm was rewarded with this view, tucked up a short stone road in Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk.

As the night had sprinkled a little dew, and the day begun, I removed and sat on the carpet from the boot of my car and sketched while my legs slowly but surely feel fast asleep.

My study is of the view across the field to a beautifully restored and inhabited windmill - typical of those found across the wind-blessed Norfolk landscape.

You will notice my illustration eye-line is low from sitting on the ground but this helped the field gate lead the eye in to settle firmly on the listed 1816 windmill. It's a stone's throw from the watermill, which I need to visit soon.

Burnham Overy Staithe

Burnham Market retires for the day - an illustration

Burnham Market is a lovely little village in North Norfolk a few miles from the coast. At it's very centre lies The Green.

There had been an open air auction on The Green earlier and I returned later to sketch the heart of the village towards Front Street where we were staying just as the shops were lowering their canopies. One of the fishmongers from Gurney's Fish Shop, where we had earlier bought some delicious cray fish tails and smoked salmon, was busy packing away the last remnants of the day's catch as I sat and took in the scene and sketched.

The sun would dominate the illustartion - casting long fingers of shadow across the soon to be deserted road and ushering in a return to quiet at the end of another fair day in Norfolk.

The Green Burnham Market

Please Choose

Hand signed A4 Print of Burnham Market looking towards North Street
Pen and marker sketch on Bockingford 190gsm watercolour paper £14.99

Original illustration of Burnham Market looking towards North Street
12' x 9" pen and marker sketch on 140lb water colour paper available from:
The Artmonger
21 North Street
Burnham Market
Norfolk
United Kingdom
PE31 8HG
+44 (0)1328 730 370
www.theartmonger.co.uk

© Robert R Wisdom www.theartofengland.co.uk 2012

Nelson's Local in Burnham Thorpe illustration

Cycling through the village where Lord Nelson was born was quite a humbling experience. We chatted to a lovely old man over his wall, outside his beautiful cottage fringed with wildflowers. Later we stumbled upon their 'local' ale house, the Lord Nelson in Burnham Thorpe.

Thirsty from our cycle we plumped for a couple of shots of spiced rum named 'Nelson's Blood" and I sat across the road and sketched the lovely building on a warm but slightly overcast day and here is the resulting illustration.

We toasted Horatio well aware of the significance of his contribution to keeping our nation great. It all seemed very far from the grandeur of London's Trafalgar Square but just as moving.

Lad did good.

Nelson Burnham Thorpe

Original illustration of The Nelson, Burnham Thorpe 12' x 9" pen and marker sketch on 140lb water colour paper available from:
The Artmonger
21 North Street
Burnham Market
Norfolk
United Kingdom
PE31 8HG
+44 (0)1328 730 370
www.theartmonger.co.uk

© Robert R Wisdom www.theartofengland.co.uk 2012

Burnham Overy Harbour illustration

It was a second trip to Burnham Overy Harbour for me.

My wife and I had cycled past the harbour briefly on the way through to the dunes and the deer at Holkham Hall the day before. I knew I needed to make time and sit and take in Burnham Overy Harbour's undeniable charms.

My early morning revisit witnessed an old gentleman busy halfway up a ladder leisurely painting the black weatherboard of the cottage during my sketch. The humble harbour was calm and peaceful and patiently awaiting the onset of a Norfolk winter.

The illustration composition is magical for the artist - the cottage in the foreground, the hillock leading the eye first left, then right and traveling up the path past the boats to rest up the estuary and the big Norfolk sky.

Burnham Overy Harbour

Hand signed A4 Print of Burnham Overy Staithe Harbour
Pen and marker sketch on Bockingford 190gsm watercolour paper £14.99

Original illustration Burnham Overy Staithe Harbour
12' x 9" pen and marker sketch on 140lb water colour paper available from:
The Artmonger
21 North Street
Burnham Market
Norfolk
United Kingdom
PE31 8HG
+44 (0)1328 730 370
www.theartmonger.co.uk

© Robert R Wisdom www.theartofengland.co.uk 2012

Pages

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Creake Abbey illustration

Morning dew at the Windmill illustration

Burnham Market retires for the day - an illustration

Nelson's Local in Burnham Thorpe illustration

Burnham Overy Harbour illustration

Original drawings and Prints