Close encounter!

Drawing and painting "plein air" can attract observers; they don't trouble me often but one encounter two days ago was amusing. I was trying to catch clearing skies and low light over the creek leading into Portsmouth harbour.

This is the final version, a small watercolour. What preceded it was the coloured pencil sketch below:-

 

It is very much unfinished, because just as I was getting into it lady and husband arrived. I heard her from a distance of 100 yards. She arrived, peered over my shoulder, "ah yes, that's good--drawing in crayons" "Thank you, no they are coloured pencils!" Undeterred, she carried on, and proceeded to tell me about her drawing and painting and how she loved using crayons too. "They are pencils " I persevered. Finally, overwhelmed with her information I left, the light and the moment gone. AS I moved away I noticed that husband, who had said nothing wore a hearing aid. I wonder whether he keeps it switched off!

I moved onto another site not far away, but of view. Someone had given me a card reproducing an etching of the Castle early last century. -

I did a quick sketch from as close to the location viewpoint as possible, but it's not possible to get to the exact spot; it is now overgrown with trees. The watercolour tries to capture the late afrtennon light hitting the walls. Immersed in the preliminary drawing I suddenly became aware of her voice, two hundred yards away----getting closer.---- I fled!