Everyone is seeking a bit of shade from time to time. it has been glorious and hot again. The old thick farmhouse walls means it stays really cool in the house.
I popped down to our bottom paddock the other evening to start this little painting. We have an enormous, battered, almost hollow, old oak standing close to the road where the horse will stand in the heat of the day, gently swishing her tail to keep the flies at bay. The tutor from art group keeps pushing us to do more on site painting. It was quite hard as the light was a bit diffused and there was very little shadow to play with to give added contrast to the picture. I may give it another go with a different medium to get some stronger colour. I think it is all a bit “green”, but am pleased with execution of my oak tree.
The flies , horse flies in particular, have been wretched this summer; so, I try and ride early in the morning or later in the evening. This gives both me and the horse some respite from the beastly, little critters. The last few days we have had a breeze on the hill, which has made it more comfortable. In fact, a few friends came over Saturday one of the only cloudy, breezy days of late and we went for a four hour + “spin”. I was a bit stiff next day as I haven’t been out that long on the horse in weeks! But what a joy to have a “proper” ride out. . . . .
When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes. ~William Shakespeare, Henry V
Illustrated Country Diary 
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