March 2015

[Jane Noakes]

Third in the series of charcoal drawings of the river Kennet. I used the bridge as a bold horizontal line and vertical lines to express the rain. By using these lines, I have tried to add a feeling of stability and permanence to the structure of the composition. In contrast, the turbulent movement of the river creates activity within the painting. This tension between permanence and impermanence is emphasised by the shape of the fisherman on the bridge. His crossing is incomplete. It is a pause. Time is suspended while he considers his next step.

The falling rain is used to create perspective and draw the eye to the drama of the figure on the bridge. We glimpse the solitary figure through a curtain of rain.