Postcard From The Lakes 2 - A Little Extreme Plein Air!

​Most artists will tell you, it’s quite an isolating profession, and generally they don’t mind it. However, when we get the chance to go out and play with fellow artists, we will jump at the opportunity. 

So it was with me that I ended up with the Northern Boys, including their only female ‘northern boy’ Haidee-Jo Summers (who also leads her newly formed Lake District Plein Air group), for a couple of days this week, painting in one of the Lake Districts favourite spots. We were joined by the legendary David Curtis, ROI, RSMA who rolled up in his rather antiquated but smart VW camper van. 

My second ‘Postcard from the Lakes’ therefore comes to you from Elterwater and Skelwith Force in the Langdale Valley. 

The village of Elterwater itself is about half a mile from the lake Elter Water, located to the south of picturesque Grasmere, west of Lake Windermere with great views of the Langdale Pikes. If you walk through the forests that surround the western side which leads downstream, you will end up at Skelwith Force, a very accessible waterfall which surprisingly isn’t that well known to the many tourists that hit the area. Elterwater itself relies on tourism as it’s principal source of income and the village is popular with fell walkers. Only a quarter of the houses in Elterwater are permanently occupied. The rest are holiday cottages.

The ‘boys’ had been painting in the area all week and I joined them on the Sunday along with the Lake District Plein Air painters. Having recently recovered from covid and not wanting to walk too far, from the car park, I set my easel up close to the historic Grade II listed Elterwater Bridge which dates back to the 18th century. The bridge spans the Great Langdale Beck which bubbles and tumbles into Elterwater. 

The weather was extremely kind and not only provided the warmth we needed but also the light and shade that helps to make a painting of good contrasting colours. 

After a full day of painting, we retreated to one of only a couple of watering holes in the village. The Britannia Inn, a fantastic 300 year old pub in the centre of the village.

The following day, I joined the ‘boys’ at Skelwith Force, a delightful and very impressive little water fall not too far from Elterwater and a short 10 minute walk from Skelwith Bridge. This waterfall is very accessible yet relatively unknown and very lightly visited so we pretty much had the run of the place. 

After taking a photo of the ‘boys’ for their album, I perched not too unprecariously on a rock and completed my only painting of the day. Skelwith Force has probably never been painted by so many people in one day, though I enjoyed seeing the ‘boys’ immortalising each other in action, on canvas for posterity.

I am predominantly a studio painter and will gravitate naturally to the studio most days but living in the Lake District and having so many prolific artists visit on a regular basis makes a wonderful recipe for inspiration. Some days, you are so much better out than in.

Do you meet up with fellow artists often?  Do comment below and let us know. I’d love to hear from you. 

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