By Mary Ann Rogers
Autumn brings new textures and colour to the hills of Northumberland, along with the sights, smells and sounds of one of the busiest times of year for the hill farmers, who are preparing and selling their tups (rams) and young breeding ewes.
The fields close to the roads contain strangely coloured sheep, which confuse visitors to the area. Bright yellow for the tups (rams) who will be bought by farmers to put out in the hills with their ewes. The bright colour makes them easier to spot, as the shepherd does his rounds, making sure they are doing their job.
Young ewes, sold to replace older ewes, are prepared for sale by a dip, sometimes with a hint of colour, to represent the soil type of the area, then any scruffy/dirty bits are clipped off, and the final stage of preparation is having their faces washed to bring out the white and the markings of their breed.
Every year in the third week of September, I cycle along to the farm next door, clad in waterproof gear, to help the team with the face washing. A constant stream of banter is guaranteed, followed by a fantastic lunch before the afternoon batch are herded into the shed, ready for their beauty session.
The new paintings reflect the changing seasons and rhythms absorbed both from the views directly out of the studio windows and the daily walks and river swims. A late burst of evening sunshine transforms the hills, picking out the ancient ridge & furrows, also remnants of earlier settlements.
A kingfisher darts past in a flash of blue preceded by a ‘peeping’ sound. A lazy splash on the surface of the water signifies the start of the autumn run of fish up the river to spawning grounds.
We are always alert to any sounds or movement by the river, often rewarded by a glimpse of an otter, a water vole or a salmon. Overhead, ‘V’s of geese are on the move, and the swallows have already departed for warmer climes.
This is usually a very productive painting time. Before things become very busy in the weeks before Christmas and we are packing and shipping out paintings, prints, cards and gifts all over the world.
Rather than repeat gift items from the past, I enjoy sourcing new things, ideally in conjunction with local suppliers/makers to offer customers each Christmas. This year, a chance comment has led to a collaboration with a local family-run candle making firm. We will be offering a range of scented candles in tins, featuring Mary Ann’s artwork, to create beautiful fragrances and subtle candlelight – that’s if I don’t use them all myself!
Daily river swims are getting shorter and shorter as the water temperature drops. It has been a wonderful summer for people who enjoy swimming in lakes and rivers.
The water has been warm and welcoming, and there has been no heavy rainfall which can make the rivers dangerous, as well as causing sewage outflows, which is a highly contentious subject, particularly now that so many people now swim and dip in our inland waters.
The main threat in warm sunny weather is blue/green algae forming in still or slow moving water where nitrates and potassium from sewage provide the nutrients which feed the algae. Not usually life threatening to humans, it can pose a serious health threat to pets and livestock. Fortunately, we have only seen a small amount of this when we stayed at St Mary’s Loch in the borders.
The next thing we are looking forward to seeing on the surface of the water now is ice! Brrrrrr!
Christmas Exhibition at Mary Ann Rogers Gallery
Sat 28, Sun 29 Nov – Sat 5, Sun 6, Sat 12 and Sun 13 Dec – 10am-5pm
West Woodburn, Hexham NE48 2SE – 07967 550772 – www.marogers.com