Bleak Midwinter

This is a painting of a stretch of the Leeds Liverpool canal close to where I live. It’s a part where the narrow boats are not permitted as it’s a dead end. So the icy water was not disturbed by boats. I used soft pastels on paper primed with pastel ground. I used acrylic spray paint in yellow ochre for the lower part of the sky. I love my pastel mark making to show throughout rather than blending very much. The icy water and reflections were a terrific challenge that I wanted to get right. I want the viewer to feel the icy coldness of the scene.