More explorations in compositions and colour deep within the forest flora of Roosters Rest woods. I love the way the bleached birch trees lines the forestry at the front like quick brush strokes while the darker pine trees bulked out the rear, licked by the swaying high grass.
Another set of photos from my excursions to Roosters Rest woods. Noticing the effects of leaf litter and how they sprinkle the landscape into painterly dots coupled with the momentary glows of the sun as it showed itself from amongst the clouds and lit the treetops, paying close attention to the bizarre witches broom.
One thing I appreciate so much about rural Ireland is how friendly everyone is, hopping a neighbours fence and trudging through the muck to be greeted by a friendly wave from that neighbour is not something that ever goes amiss, you certainly wouldn’t get that in London. These photos are taken from a forestry that stretches throughout many acres of land and where many of the icy spectacles from previous adventures were captured. If I had it my own way I would buy this land, build a log cabin with my bare hands and happily live here surrounded amongst the wildlife and nature, like living in a painting.
Another set of offerings when the sky met with the ground and diluted the treetops and roofs of apartment blocks. It is rather peculiar seeing London this way especially where this photo was captured as it usually offers a view of the London skyline, instead gobbled up by the palled brume.
At the moment it is unusually mild and dull, I am yearning for the blankets of snow and chiefly for the frost and ice that crisps up the landscapes and allows me to sink into those verglas vistas that I love so much. Until then one morning I woke up early and was left mesmerised by the dense fog that closed in the surroundings like a milky force field. I went out on an adventure to capture some soft landscapes where the hazy sky spilled over onto the vegetation in a blurry soft gradient.
This weeks kick about over on Red’s Kingdom is the illustration “The Night Before Christmas” by Arthur Rachham. I found the illustration by Arthur Rachham horrifying, in the best way. To me his art always veers on that polarising view of charming but in an uncanny not quite right way. Something about the blackness of the line work, particularly with the scratchy shadows and the way the sickly stained walls progressively get more bruised towards the top makes me think that old Saint Nick isn’t as jolly as it’s told and could be hiding in those shadows, ready to unhinge his bearded jaw and gobble up those kids as they run right up to him. So keeping in theme to that here’s a couple illustrations.
There is nothing I love more than when the weather turns to haze. The way that it turns simple landscapes into such rich ominous scenes, the way that it always affects light and how it hints at narrative – I can’t help but wonder about the inhabitants sheltering inside the gloom. It reminds me of my time spent in Beijing, the light was peculiarly different there, assuming it had to do with smog, it made it so that the light pooled out from its source towards you and subverting some sort of wall that atmospheric perspective would usually allow you to know the distance between you and elements further away. Whenever there is fog I love nothing more than to go for a long curious walk which always feels like your reality turns into a sort of dream state. The weather is promised to be foggy tonight, fingers crossed it is so that I can go for one of those walks and see what my camera can can capture.
Creators from all over have responded with whimsical light, shape and formations for this weeks Kick About over on Red’s Kingdom, inspired by the wondrous Ice Spiral installation art created By Andy Goldsworthy. more of Goldsworthy’s striking work can be seen here. Inspirit of Goldworthy’s art I wanted to recollect upon the bitter winter in rural Ireland photographed from last year when the stillness and cold became one to produce frozen splendour.
When I look at these photos all I can think about is miniature vistas halted in time, like verglas installations created by pristine nature. Pockeded air bubbles mimicking silver dollar plants are trapped among planes of ice like tiny moons. Milky swirls of frozen water interjected with brambles that loop in and out like a serpent on the hunt, and if the camera panned up, something would arise from the mist.
Gentle Giant 