This time last week, I took some time out to clear my head a little and look for inspiration in the wilds of Wigan, near Upholland. We headed out to walk the dogs in the fresh snow and were not disappointed...
We parked the car on a sheet of ice because there was
nowhere else...beautiful but challenging...
Behind these trees is a a huge abondoned seminary, sadly it's boarded
up so I couldn't get close enough to take any good photos
Hugo, taking it easy on the icy ground...
The walk was mostly across disused farmland and
woodland, lovely habitat and no one else around...
Frozen tractor tracks made for some interesting
obstacles along out route...
My youngest daughter navigating the icy ground
with her usual finesse...
I love these wintery scenes - there was definitely lots
of inspiration for some new landscape paintings here...
...And the ice left lots of interesting and intricate marks
Oscar making the most of his freedom - that tail didn't
stop waggling for the whole afternoon
This is one of my favourite photos from this trip - the low sun against
the bare trees and the subtle wintery hues are just magical
Nim, enjoying her brief period of being camouflaged...
Heading home after a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon...
The amazing thing about this place is that it's only a 5 minute drive from where I live, and yet we don't often come here. Sometimes it's nice not to visit a place too frequently - it stays just that little bit more special. The snow and ice definitely added to the magic and the dust and cobwebs were most thoroughly cleared from my head. I returned home full of ideas and fresh enthusiasm.
I write about this sort of thing often but I can't overstate how important it is to get out of the house and into the wild every so often. It's particularly important if you are creative, self-employed or just spend hours in one place each day (like my studio).
You never know where inspiration will bite, but it's out there somewhere. You just have to get out and look for it.
Good luck!
Adam
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