...'Moot Point'...

...'Do you want it Friday or do you want it good?'...

When John Jaworski left me a telephone message offering me a commission and apologised for calling me out of the blue as it were - I called him back accepting the commission, little realising that it would soon be I apologising to him for taking so long to get it done. 

Before I got started, I needed to get plenty of reference photos, which is normal practice, even if I'm working on site from life to some extent. On this occasion there was another proviso. To achieve the point of view that would best present the multiple rooves of Moot Point, would I take a photo from a raised perspective?

i.e. - 'Bring your own ladder'. So I did.

'Moot Point' pencil composition and 1st stage detail.

'Moot Point' Pencil stage.

OK, I'm not the fastest artist in town, but in consideration of other commitments, I would expect to allocate a period of three to four weeks to complete an A3 pen & ink and watercolour commission.

Owing to circumstances beyond my control I was unable to apply myself to the commission as often as I would like to have. John and Frances were both absolutely fine with this, and allowed me as much time as was needed. To quote John as he relayed it to me - 

'Do you want it Friday, or do you want it good??' 

'Good please'.

My winter work table, given that the heater is glowing...

'Moot Point' Pen & Ink stage.

I found although I had plenty of reference photos, there were occasionally some details that were unclear from those pictures, and rather than - dare I say - 'guess' I would drive out to Moot Point to take additional photos or to count the roof tiles...

'Moot Point' 2nd stage colours.

...or check the colour of the downpipe of the adjoining building to the left, or to clarify whether the window and door frames were in fact black, brown or really dark navy blue...

'Moot Point' finished artwork - 'Just what I had in mind, the trick is getting it on paper...'

Destination achieved - the long and winding road to 'Moot Point'.

Many thanks to John and Frances, both for the commission in the first place and their hospitality and patience during it's execution and completion.