Painting “Wet Monk Stray in February, York”
Plein‑Air Painting – Oil on Canvas Panel
Monk Stray, York, North Yorkshire, England, UK
It had been a turbulent beginning to the year involving storms and lots of rain
Monk Stray
The City Of York in Yorkshire, UK, has an interesting feature called 'strays'. Strays are open land that's been 'common land' for many generations. There's quite a history to these spaces.
Several strays, including Monk Stray, thread their way into the City Of York as green spaces within the urban bustle. Despite being familiar with these spaces for quite a few years, this was the first time I'd thought of painting on one. It was actually the trees in the cityscape that had caught my eye initially.
Too wet to paint
I was desperate to get out painting. It was late February and I'd been out painting a lot during January for a painting competition I'd entered. I'd got the bug earlier in the year than usual.
So when after several storms the weather turned soaking wet, it interrupted a momentum I'd built‑up. Rain is an outdoor artist's nemesis, not wind – though wind is bad enough. I'd had to stay in through much of February and the itch to keep painting had become unbearable.
I'd driven past this scene umpteen times and decided it was time to tackle it. Wellies were packed and it was a good move.
While the light in the scene was blinding and the clouds dramatic enough to warrant keeping the rest of the painting simple, the conditions weren't good for painting.
Wellington boots are cold when the water seeps out of the grass and you find yourself stood in a puddle in February.
It was all worth it though, because this painting works so well I'll be loath to let it go. It shows the influence on me of Pete The Street (a plein‑air painting hero of mine), and that's no bad thing at all. It also sparked a painting theme I've enjoyed exploring since.