It was over 20 years ago when I made my first foray into watercolors. While on a trip to England I decided to switch my medium over from pastels to watercolors. I had become comfortable using pastels and felt I needed a challenge and a change of medium. I thought watercolors would be handy  for a traveling man and I bought a small set. Not really sure how to get started I decided a limited palette would be best. For my first attempt at watercolors chose to use my Chinese set that only had black and orange. I walked around the town of Runcorn  in Cheshire looking for a suitable subject matter and chose the ruins of Halton Castle high upon the hill with the church spiral from the old church next to it sticking up into the sky. Many years and watercolors later I once again find myself in front of the ruins of Halton Castle. I approached it close up this time and did a sketch in ink of part of it on watercolor paper. When I went to paint it later that day I had plenty of options in what colors I would used. It was only later that I realized I had used very similar colors to the one I had done way back when. What goes around, comes around.

In Wales, and most of Britain I suspect, there are public trails and paths that follow the hedges and fences surrounding pastures and fields. Gates along the paths allow folks access without letting out livestock that may inhabit any field at any given time. This allows ample opportunity for exploring new places. Often the trail will diverge of into multiple paths. I usually take the path that leads the most upward. The higher the climb, the greater the vista. Although I usually have my art bag with me I am quite often satisfied with taking many photographs along the way. I usually view my walks as scouting missions for future subject matter for paintings. To actually do art, one must stop moving. But I often can’t stop moving. I get too excited and curious what is up ahead or around the corner. Yesterday morning I woke up in Deganwy, Wales at my friend Andrew’s house. From the view of my bedroom window I could see Conway Castle and snow capped mountains. In Andrew’s back yard their is a gate that leads up a steep hill which I climbed up to the top. I took many pics along the way. But I had already made my mind up what I was to draw. His gate…. Andrew took a pic of me sketching it from a second story window. It even included my clothes hanging out on the line to dry.

The warm fire talked me out of going out into the cold, damp Welsh night to draw something. The fire and the water kettle reminded me of the elements of Mushashi’s Book of Five Rings. I am neither Samurai nor Buddhist, but I glean much from the writings of this Samurai from the 1600s who wandered alone, with no emperor to pledge his loyalty to. He spent most of his life in travel and reflection, always honing his arts which included much more than the sword and the art of fighting. He was a master painter whose brush was an extension of his body no less than his sword. He was also a master of strategy…an accomplished poet, calligrapher, sculptor and archer. He wrote “Study the Ways of all professions”. It is evident that he did just that. He sought out not only great swordsmen but also priests, strategists, artists and craftsmen, eager to broaden his knowledge.

In some of his teachings I find agreement, some I find a hard truth that and try to accept and practice, and some I find unsuitable for my nature and reject out right. Of particular interest to me was his Dokkoda which is as translated as ” The Way of Walking Alone”  Some of his teachings are :

Accept everything just the way it is.

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.

Be indifferent to where you live.

There is timing in everything.

Examine your environment.

To know ten thousand things, know one thing well.

Get beyond love and grief, exist for the good of man.

Perceive that which can not be seen with the eye.

Polish the twofold spirit heart and mind, sharpen the twofold gaze perception and sight.

Step by step walk the thousand mile road.

All things entail rising and falling timing. You must discern this.

Thus with the virtue of strategy I practice many arts and abilities -all things with no teacher.

Musa

(Portrait of Miyamoto Musashi, Circa Edo Period)

Musashi seems to have been a very complex man. He never married and never settled down. He traveled basically his entire life in the pursuit of enlightenment.

shi seems to have been a very complex man. He never married and never settled down. He traveled basically his entire life in the pursuit of enlightenment. HMusashi seems to have been a very complex man. He never married and never settled down. He traveled basically his entire life in the pursuit of enlightenment. e became an expert in numerous fields by self-study. I would dare say that the man skirts the realm of a genius.

I woke up at dawn this morning in my nephew Mike’s bed on the Island of Anglesey in North Wales. Mike, ironically was sleeping back in my home town in NY. From the kitchen window I could see the ruins of an old windmill on top of the Parys mountain. My goal this morning was to climb up there and check things out. Mike’s mum drew me a map on how to get to the path that would lead me up there. I bundled up as much as I could and threw my art bag over my shoulder.  I knew that the chilly wind that was blowing across the island would hinder me from doing any art, but its good to be prepared. I considered this more of a scouting mission anyways. I followed the map successfully and found the start of the trail…a trail that soon diverged in several directions I just kept guessing at it until I found myself near the top of the mountain that has long been an abandoned copper mine. The harsh terrain kept me going, wondering what was around the next corner. It was like I was on another planet. A strange and odd beauty with rocks of all colors inter mixed with wild yellow bushes that grew like hardy weeds. I finally made it to the top where I met up with an elderly gent named Barry who was walking his friendly dog who gave me some sorely needed doggie lovin. Barry told me some history of this old mine going back as far as Roman times. He said the windmill had a rare 5 sails and was used to drain the copper mines that constantly filled with water. The copper from the mine was used for the hulls of Admiral Nelson’s ships making them glide faster. He spoke of many tunnels hidden beneath the harsh land that was mined by two competing companies, The Parys Company and the Mona. Mining there had been going on there since the Bronze Age.

“I have climbed so many mountains just to reach the other side. And I near drowned myself in freedom just to feed my foolish pride. On my journey through the darkness I have finally seen the light…” Billie Joe Shaver

My journey here isn’t  just about tramping about, doing art and visiting family and friends. There was a separate mission that was the root of the timing of this trip. It was fundraiser to support awareness and research for a little known, but devastating disease that effects  a small percentage of children called ataxia-telangiectasia. Only around 200 people in Britain have it. It is a rare, genetic degenerative disease of childhood, which effects multiple systems of the human body. Children are usually confined to a wheelchair by the age of 10. Another function of the event was to raise money for all terrain wheel chairs for a pair of 7 year old twin boys, Ruben and Zach. I have recently become friends with the twin’s lovely parents, Andy and Tania.  I was pleased to see the goal for the wheelchairs was reached and the 5th Annual A-T Ball was a huge success all around. After donating a painting for their auction last year I was happy to donate another one this year.  I was also happy to accept to the invitation to attend the ball given to me by my cousins Vaughn and Joanne Rawson. It was truly an honor to shed my scarecrow clothes and dress like James Bond for a day.

I made it back down to the All Saints Church in Gresford Wales. A favorite walk of mine. I saw it my first night in town when I went for a walk. I followed the chimes of the bells till I ended up walking through the old cemetery to the church. It was dark and there was a lone light in a window that seemed to beckon me, “Come back a draw me.”…and I have responded. It’s taken a couple of trips and I’m still not done with the drawing. It’s a fairly challenging endeavor. I hope to get it done in a couple of more visits.

To quote Billy Joe Shaver, ” I got it all down to one moving part and that moving part is me.”  I have a handy canvas bag that I pack my art supplies in. It holds a lot and has room for more. It has a handy strap and I just throw it over my shoulder and I’m good to go.

I went back to the woods by a small lake today and started a painting of the blue bells. I picked a wrong time to choose a new medium…watercolor pencils. Again, the learning curve of trying a new medium can be time consuming and frustrating. But sitting in the woods with the fragrant blue bells and the songs of all the unknown birds, along with the calls of the sheep and the lambs make it a fine day. No worries mate!

In an attempt to get a away from the dark palette of my night scenes I packed up my watercolors and walked to the Marford Mill a couple of miles down the road. It was a down hill walk and sunny day. I took some photos on the way down and enjoyed the walk. When I got there I found a suitable place to sit in front of the mill. I sat on top of a stone fence and got my supplies out. There wasn’t really a lot of color in the scene and decided to just draw it straight in ink. Within minutes I was determined to never, ever draw another mill. It was tricky drawing in ink with no way to correct any errors. What you draw is what you get. After talking myself out of quitting several times I worked on it until I was finished with it right there on the spot. It’s a little rough around the edges like it’s creator. At some point I may make prints of it on watercolor paper and put in some color. I jumped on a bus to avoid walking back up hill. Still early enough for more art to be done. I see there is an advantage to doing art in the daylight. Hmm…I wonder if other artists are aware of this?

Tonight I was introduced to my 3rd cousins Josh and Callum when I went to their house for tea. They were aware I was an artist and I was proudly shown a clothesline with artwork on it as soon as I got there. After eating, a suggestion that I show them how to paint came up. All I had on me was a watercolor pad and my ink pens. But they had their child’s paint and some kid brushes and we all went to work. When we were done I put my painting up on their clothesline. My teacher, Juanita Greene Parks use to say, “Get them while their young, get them when they’re old, but get them.” John Lennon said, “All children  are artists until they are told they aren’t.”   Let’s always tell them they are.

I was pretty worn out by the end of the day. Instead of walking about I just looked for something around my room to draw and picked my hat and coat. I had a good day though. I was introduced to some nice folks down the road who told me of a field of bluebells in the woods by a lake nearby. They gave me directions and I look forward to checking it out. I have been looking for a good subject worthy of a major piece.  Sounds promising. In the mean time I will try to do some art daily.