Dry Stone Wall, Oxenhope, West Yorkshire

This painting shows a lovely dry stone wall in Oxenhope, a small village in West Yorkshire. I often find old stone walls like this make such an interesting subject for a watercolour. They have so much texture and character, and they sit beautifully in the rolling green hills of the area. On this day, the light was soft, with gentle shadows across the fields, and I wanted to capture that feeling of calm countryside life.

I used plenty of greens for the hills, mixing viridian with yellow ochre for warmer tones and a touch of ultramarine for the cooler, distant areas. The wall itself has a nice mix of warm and cool greys, with hints of burnt sienna to bring out the stone texture. A few quick brushstrokes and some dry brush technique helped suggest the roughness of the stones and grass around it.

What I love about scenes like this is how peaceful they are. Just standing there, hearing the wind over the fields, you can almost forget time. It’s a joy to paint a view like this and try to share that feeling of space and stillness.