Fountains Abbey

​

A pleasure of a commission, this is one of a set of three miniatures of Yorkshire abbeys.

​

The mathematics involved during the construction of this one portion of Fountains Abbey are far beyond my comprehension; it was enough to work out the angles for rendering it in paint! I tried to get a sense of the cool, airy atmosphere of this place, damp and algaed for most of the day but warmed by the late afternoon light into ochres and pinky browns.

 

Architecture is miniature is always challenging, as the tolerance for angles and parallel lines is so much smaller; but a magnificent ruin like Fountains offers lots of texture and colour, which is a treat to paint after the technical challenge of the drawing.