Eden Valley. 6 a.m. - Limited Edition of 10 Print

With the Lake District Fells to the West, the Pennines to the east and the Howgill Fells to the south, the beautiful Eden Valley is a peaceful oasis of lush green countryside. This work is part of my Images of Eden series - location photography inspired by the ever-changing landscape of the part of Britain where I lived for many years – the Eden Valley in Cumbria. From my house there were magnificent views across the verdant river valley to the high fells of the North Pennines – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As the seasons passed and the light and weather varied, the views and the colours were ever-changing and I set out to capture this in what has become my Images of Eden Collection. I wanted to convey the elemental aspects of the landscape and the ephemeral nature of our views of it, attempting to record an impression of how a landscape or a part of it appeared at a precise moment in time To do this I took a serial approach to the subject matter. So, this image is part of a cycle of work depicting the same view or parts of the view at different times of the day and during different seasons, emphasizing the ways in which light and atmosphere shifted in time specific ways. It was always a question of having a camera ready and just looking, waiting for the right moment – magical when it happens but it could evaporate before I could even get out of the house. I was particularly interested in the creative capture of sunrise and sunset on the fells and I would often get up in the early hours of the morning when the light was often at its best. Most of the work is a response to the ever-changing light and changing images of the natural world, often blurring the boundaries between the descriptive and the abstract. I was exploring through photography and the digital manipulation of photograph the idea that the works of the great English landscape artists, Constable and Turner, were the precursors of Impressionism, Modernism and ultimately photographic composition In this view, taken between 5 and 6 a.m. on a September morning the entire scene is dominated by a layer of low-lying mist over the river. In these brief moments of transition from night to day, the shapes of distant trees blurred into the clouds and mist. Detail is obscured by the mist that covers the view, creating a dense atmosphere that renders the trees and hedges in distant, blurred shapes. Looking across the valley, they appear out of the early morning mist as ghost like images. Rising out of the mist in the background the dark bulk of the North Pennines dominate the scene. Tones are vague and nuanced, as delicate as a dream. The dissolving ground makes the scene feel like an apparition or view into an ethereal world. It’s a pastoral scene showcasing a gentle colour palette, an evocation of tranquillity and peace with an emphasis on the overall quality and atmosphere of the landscape over and above specific detail designed to elicit an intimate encounter between the viewer and the landscape. The subject is not so much the physical landscape itself but the enveloping chill and monochrome tones and the impression it makes on the senses at a certain moment in time. The work is simplified in its elemental treatment of forms to create a contemplative sense of quiet and balance. The landscape is unpopulated to heighten the focus on the natural world without any distractions. It is minimalized to its essential elements to emphasise the poetic and contemplative experience of nature, creating an emphasis on line and form that gives it a more abstract feeling. This is available as a limited edition of ten, Giclee printed onto heavyweight fine art photo paper with a one inch border. The image size is 24 inches by 16 inches (with border total print size is 26” x 18”). Each comes personally signed, numbered and titled, together with a signed certificate of authenticity. Also available as an unsigned open print in various sizes and materials from Saatchi.