This morning I tinkered with the piece I posted earlier this week, nothing too dramatic but I felt that the water needed some work and the area on the top right of the painting needed to be dampened down a bit.

This is another piece based on the bog near Oughterard. It began as a sketch in charcoal (below). I struggled with this one as you will see and I think this is because it isn’t immediately recognisable as a landscape.

I added some broad sweeps of colour after this. The viewpoint is closer to the ground, so the horizon line has been replaced by green growth at the top of the piece. I quite like it at this stage (below), just those three colours and the strong lines.

The brown shape has become diluted as the painting has progressed (below) and I am hoping at this point to recover it to some degree before I finish. However, looking back here I am thinking once again that I might have left it at this stage. I like the movement at the centre of the piece and that pinkish colour which is lost later.

This is the next stage (below). I am less happy with it now and leave it to dry overnight.

Here is the final painting (below). I have used lots of brown ink to create more contrast and I have tried to put the shapes back as they were – the downward and outward flow of the water and the long flank of cut bog. I have subdued the green area at the top and added more paint to make the surface richer. I’ve left it here and am reasonably happy to call it finished. I am wondering now how it reads to someone else – let me know what you think, I’d love to have your comments.