Yorkshire Landscapes
I never really thought of myself as a landscape painter, I suppose it was something to do with my commercial background. But recently I have found great inspiration in landscapes and in particular views of my local area.
Since the pits have all been shut down it feels as if there has been a huge cloud lifted. Old pits and slag heaps have been turned into parks and nature reserves and there seems to be much more sky than I can remember.
Most of the views I have painted are from Phoenix Park, a reclaimed slag heap. You can see the whole of the Dearne Valley and the surrounding villages. We've been up there (me and Sparky that is) when the light is just amazing and it's hard to imagine anywhere more beautiful.
My only concern is that now the Dearne Valley has regained its beauty the local developments agencies and planning departments are able to intelligently and sensitively manage the redevelopment of the area. Judging by the number of huge corrugated sheds they are allowing to be thrown up I suspect these concerns are low on their list priorities.
