Dark Peak with view of Kinder Scout by Carole Swingler

Love the atmosphere in this painting. Great sky, subdued colours in the background and the pile of stones has been well executed with not too harsh colours. Well done.

Thank you very much Beatrice.

If this is what happens when you stray out of your comfort zone, you must do it more often. Strong painting, and those distant peaks are very well done. Like your strong shadows beneath the rock, too.

Thanks for the booster Robert.

Wow, you should get out of your comfort zone more often. Love it, full of drama and atmosphere, the rocks are especially good. I love your flower paintings but you should do more landscapes like this one as well. Excellent.

What a great painting, love the rocks and the sky is amazing.

Thanks Val, will try. Thanks Karleen. great to get your feedback.

The rock is amazing, the sky is smashing. What else can I say. Agree with all the above.

Very different from your usual delicate flowers. Here you have gone bolder and you did really well. I like the roughness of the boulders and the sky is absolutely stunning. You should do landscapes more often.

You say you are out of your comfort zone, don't think so this is a superb watercolor painting. It has everything going for it, keep up the good work. PW

I missed this on monday, but it was well worth catching up with, Carole. This is an excellent watercolour landscape style, it is just as w/c should be, to my mind. You have a great blending and misty softness along with the sharp contrast of rock. I think sometimes we can misjudge our comfort zones and avoid trying something new but we can also surprise ourselves sometimes.

Brilliant emotive impression. Turbulent heavens churning with discontent above the rugged stubborn land. My eyes are hands feeling the weight and gritty presence among the dizzy altitude.

Thanks Ruth very much and thank you Rod for putting such beautiful words to my meagre offering ~~~~~~~~~~Carole.

Wow! Well done Carole. Its almost 40 years since I was on Kinder Scout, but you have brought back the atmosphere so vividly. I'm also pleased to see that those rocks are still in position, and haven't been blown away by the freakish weather which can descend there. Thank you for so ably re-creating and reminding me about Kinder Scout. Julian Lovegrove

your handling of washes in your flower backgrounds has transferred brilliantly to your skies - looking forward to more landscapes now - great picture

Thanks Julian, yes I think the pile of rocks will be there for a while yet eh. Very kind of you Norah, thanks.

I'd say your comfort zone is wider than you think Carole. This is a cracking impression of rugged terrain,. I can feel the wind in my face. Nice work. Regards John

This is stunning! I agree with all of the above. Your flower paintings are absolutely beautiful. It inspires me and to get a possitive comment from you on my rose is a very special gift. Thanks a million.

Thank you John, it's certainly windy up there. Thanks Elizabeth you are much too kind, but you have made my day !!

Carole, your only problem with this is getting a straight shot with your camera!

I know Lynda, I'm awful at taking photos, looks as if the rocks are about to slide of !!!

I agree- you should get uncomfortable all the time!!!! This is a great atmospheric painting and reminds me of Scotland and Cornwall. I like the way you've tackled the foreground grasses.

Thank you very much Jean.

You've really attacked this, with great strength and strong colours where needed and restrained washes where needed. The result is brilliant and I love the way you can see faces in the rocks without over emphasising them and causing distraction, so true to real life.

Thanks for your comment on "Towards Rocken End". I actually prefer this!

Thanks for your very kind comments Angela and Andrew.

like this painting cut my eye straight away like the way you have used watercolours great piece of work.

Carole:This is a fine picture. the Rock texture is great I would say you are well in your comfort Zone. Well done James A Deal

Hello Carole, thank you very much for visiting my gallery and commenting on my photos! You have some very lovely paintings in your gallery and I am very flattered you like my work. This painting is superb. It conveys solitude, light and expanse of space very well.

Thanks very much Carole! The Princess Bella does indeed have the most doleful eyes, which really belie that most mischievous personality in a whippet ever! She is one evil little minx! And yes, in answer to your question, I used the dry-brush to achieve the brindling.

Saw this some time ago and didnt comment. It has just popped up again. A really super painting, full of drama and atmosphere

You cant be that uncomfortable??? , great techniqueand some wonderful marks, A very competant watercolour

Thank you very much for the kind comments all, very uplifting as this didn't sell at my local library last year as indeed didn't sell a sausage!! Not sure if it's me or the economy ! lol

I'll add my compliments Carole whilst thanking you for yours. The Peak is where I fell in love with mountains - walking and climbing with my Dad in the 1960s. Your painting is beautifully evocative, the rocks set in relief by a truly miraculous sky.

Many thanks for your kind comment Kim, I really appreciate it as you are a wonderful mountain artist.

Excellent Carole especially the foreground rocks. Very good recession and well done

Doesn't appear to be out your comfort zone at all Carole! A very atmospheric watercolour.

Nice and dramatioc Carol, perhaps could have done with some of the paper sparkling through for pure white highlights. I've only been to the area once, 1961, school trip for a week at the WMCA hostel up Kinder Scout. They divided the boys and girls by shoving us boys a couple of thousand, feet, therabouts in a bunk house on the Scout and put the girls in the main building at the base:-) best Mick

Thanks Mick for your constructive suggestion, it would have lifted the painting a bit I think! I bet you had a great time though in the peaks. Maybe a bit draughty though! :-))

You are a clever lady. I remember it well.

This picture is fantastic. Such a strong image. By the way Carole i have notice you make portfolios with just one picture in them.

Thank you Pete. Yes I know I'm very dis-organized. I'm trying to be more careful with the portfolios now (bit late i know) :(

This is lovely, Carole. Did you do any more watercolours of rocks and hills, or did you go straight back to your beautiful botanical flowers?

Hi, thanks Beverley, I haven't done many, just the one of Curbar Edge, Derbyshire.

I think this painting is great, you really capture the mood and atmosphere of this Derbyshire landscape, well rendered subject matter, I live in Derbyshire so know this area well, Well done.

This is brilliant! I love how the rocks (&sky) are the main focal point, & with your eye for botanical detail - superbly executed. The sky too is wonderful, I have seen many skies like these on my trips back to Northern UK. although the focal area is in a sense, small...you get that wonderful feeling of the space on the moors.....or as my father-in-law would say "wonderful.....bag's of bu...r-all!" Thank you for your kind words on my alliums, much appreciated. Am still very much the novice, finding my feet.

Thanks Mark, sorry I'm late with this.

Very kind of you Elizabeth, I don't attempt many paintings like this as VERY much a novice! Your father-in-law sounds a great character:o))

Thank you for your words of encouragement! You are pretty good yourself. All good wishes Andrew Woodhouse

I have enjoyed your portfolio. Great paintings .A joy to see. Andrew Woodhouse

Oh thank you Andrew, very kind of you to take time to look at my portfolio.

I know this place well, and you've made a really good job of painting it. I particularly like your rendering of the rock formation and the rainy sky, it's full of atmosphere.

This is an awesome picture.

Thans Mark and Shirley, very kind of you to comment on this one.

reminds me of my outings when learning with Katherine on the Yorkshire moors. Great work.

What can I say - I must agree with all of the above - stunning landscape - as Lorraine said different from your flowers - but boy does it work - as some else said do some more - please

I'm flattered! Thanks so much, very kind.

I know these rocks well, great focal point and atmosphere

Wow Carole! I love this work of yours - you have such control. It's a proper watercolour and I will enjoy looking at the rest of your portfolio. More of this please...

This is a fine watercolour which is not an easy medium, well done Carole .the rock is superb.

Hi Carole, just been looking at Dark peak, among your many great paintings; I thought it had to be acrylic, or even oil such is the textured realism in the composition. To read that you had used watercolour is just amazing! Forgive me for commenting on an older piece of your work, but I'm slowly browsing your paintings. And enjoying every one. Merry Christmas to you.

Ian you are very kind for taking time to browse this lot! I very much appreciate your comments thanks so much.

At last I've managed to find you and boy am I glad I finally did, for some reason I didn't notice the "e" on the end of Carole, which makes me feel very stupid. However and without doubt you are the best floral painter on this site, I think your work is outstandingly wonderful. I apologise for for commenting on a painting after so long but I would like to say what a wonderful job you have done here with this water colour, you are not out of your comfort zone just keep doing what you do, just look at how many comments you have had. Seeing you have asked for a comment the only thing I would say is you may have thought of introducing one or two sheep into the painting to give some scale to the size of the rocks, just a thought.