eden valley – Graeme Skinner

For future reference

Graeme Skinner — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:39:50 +0000

There can never be too many reference photographs can there These are for when my hand decides it’s ready to use a paint brush again, when we went for a wander at Long Meg the grass looked like it would work in an illustration or two.

Lowther

Graeme Skinner — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:19:05 +0000

It’s been a long long time since I was last on the grounds at Lowther Castle, I’m guessing over 30 years and it was known as Lowther Park (or something similar) and was very different than it is today – in fact I can’t remember exactly where the previous park was located in relation to the castle. Anyway, being at a bit of a loose end at the moment Julie suggested we visit Lowther Castle as it’s close by and the weather was nice. Most of the photographs are for my reference when I can draw and paint again….

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Graeme Skinner — Sun, 10 May 2026 11:33:27 +0000

In search of bluebells….

Quick trip out to wander amongst some bluebells, some of the woodland was private so we looked from afar

Wandering

Graeme Skinner — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 10:36:38 +0000

A few snaps from our morning wander, some I took just for reference

A mixed bag

Graeme Skinner — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:35:35 +0000

As my head is now fried here’s a mixed bag from yesterday (when we timed some drives from different parts of the area to see if we could live there or not and still get to places we need to be), and some from today on the coast blowing some cobwebs away….

Taken in my perpetual search for the Shire (and somewhere to dig a nice Hobbit hole and hide with a good book or two).

Potholing

Graeme Skinner — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:05:29 +0000

Okay, maybe not, but this is the nearest I’ll get to potholing anyway. We had a wander from Long Meg down to Lacey’s Cave today which was a nice change and worth another look as there’s plenty of locations to pause for reference drawings/photos.

Meg

Graeme Skinner — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 10:58:08 +0000

Decided to try a watercolour landscape as it felt like too long since I’d painted something So I used one of my recent photos from my wander around Long Meg Stone Circle.

Long Meg, A3, Watercolour

Short wander

Graeme Skinner — Wed, 14 May 2025 12:51:18 +0000

We had a little wander this morning before my week and the grindstone starts…

Morning wander

Graeme Skinner — Sun, 11 May 2025 16:09:25 +0000

We went for a wander from Dufton this morning towards the Pennines, was a nice change of scene…

Down to the stones

Graeme Skinner — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:21:19 +0000

When we visited Long Meg last year and took a few photos (here), I intended to use a few of them as references for paintings, it took a while longer than anticipated to start but that’s the way things go anyway, this one may be finished. Or at least, it’s finished for now…

Long Meg, 20″x16″