Though entirely imaginary, this image conveys in general an impression of a vertical, coloured air photograph recording an area of English landscape on light soils such as river gravel or chalk downland.

In detail, the marks are typical of archaeological – and geomorphological – features which characteristically show up as crop-marks, that is changes in the colour and height of crops as a result of buried features such as ditches and walls which affect the root systems and hence the growth of the various plants. On the ground, this area would look completely flat; from the air it can be seen to contain a (prehistoric?) rectangular field system contemporary with and overlaid by rectangular enclosures.

But all that is irrelevant really. Without knowing any of that, does it make a good abstract? The only thing that matters is whether or not it makes a satisfactory image. I’ve done quite a number of paintings over the years based on memories of vertical air photography; this is a simple one and none the worse for that.

The painting has been submitted for the Open Exhibition at The Cut, Halesworth, Dec. ’17 – Jan. ’18.