Contemplating the best way of moving forward the composition I’m planning at the moment it struck me that I should probably try a technique I’ve never used before. It is, however, a device which Stanley Spencer used regularly.
I have made good progress with drawing a “collage” version of the piece I want to develop. It has been necessary to do this because I am having to combine one of the drawings I made recently with the model, a photograph of my grandson and images of some trees, together with several other bits produced in my imagination. All of these are currently assembled in a kind of collage, taped to a drawing board. The rather scruffy and ad hoc nature of this projected image, however, means that I cannot simply develop it in situ. I have to transfer it to another support, where it will be developed into the final version. What Spencer used to do was overlay his initial sketches with a fairly dense grid, which enabled him to copy it more easily and accurately onto the intended final surface. It sounds a bit laborious, but I reckon it is probably the most efficient and effective way of proceeding.
As the weather has improved it has been possible for me to put out the “trail-cam” overnight again, without risk of it being drowned. I was delighted this morning to discover that there are at least two hedgehogs in the garden, and not just the one. Perhaps my fantasies about hedgehog romances (back in May last year) could actually have some substance!