So, I needed a break, and had some oil left over on my palette from the weekend sketching. I had done a little drawing with a 6b graphite which was rough, dark and heavy but felt it had potential for colour. Water colour was going to make mud!

Read this fine interview of Yigal Ozeri and this was his response to the question of painting on paper: “When you touch canvas the surface rejects you, but when you touch paper the surface sucks you in. It lets you work. It’s very friendly.” In 1995 I did a little oil on paper of a house, van Gogh style, and seem to remember enjoying that too. Conclusion: I definitely need to do this more often!

Strange, one finds it hard to imagine the fighting men of centuries gone by, manouvering in all their armour. Well, with the modern day warfare it sure seems like the chaps lug around a fair bit as well.