Page 12 - Francis Hamel | Painting the Yellow Mountain | 2020 | E catalogue

A terrible night and and and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a six six a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a m m start dawn is at six six I loaded up up with paints panels and and and and easel and and and and headed up up beyond the the the the hotel towards the the the the canyon The landscape was utterly mind boggling Huge stone structures some almost architectural others just random fun and and and and games from Mother Nature set in in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a vast vast diorama stretching stretching back into into the the the the the the distance and and and the the the the the the whole crazy vastness dotted with the the the the the the mad little little Huangshan pines stretching stretching out like little wizened bonsais into into the the the grey morning air I I found a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a perch and and and got out out a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a nice big panel and and and started to to paint I I had about an an an an an an hour of of of peace with just the the the the the occasional passer by and and and and then across the the the the the echoing vault of of of granite you start start to to to to hear the the the the the sound of of of ten thousand plodding feet the the the the the the the visitors are arriving within half an an an an an an an hour I went from observer to to to to observed subject to to to to to object The scale and and and and otherworldliness of of the the the the landscape is is beyond description and and and and compelling enough to to to to to hold my attention in in in in in in in spite of of of the the the footfall My next walk took me down about five hundred steps through caves and and along narrow little little winding paths clinging to to to to vast precipitous facades of of rock until I found a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a little little area with with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a seat a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a jutting out dead tree and and an an an unfeasibly marvellous view A family had settled in in in in in in for lunch but now that I I I have adopted the the Chinese approach to to personal space I I I moved in in in in in in with with easel and and and and and paints and and and and and they of course didn’t bat an an an an an an eyelid The light was was being difficult hard to to to see what I I I I was was doing and and and and and and so I I worked on on on the the the the the the ground at at at the the the the the the start to to set the the the the the the pallette and and and and and and get the the the the the the colours working and and and and and and then once my cohabitants had moved on on on spread out and and got going Huangshan 3rd November 2019
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