Tree Paintings #2 Ancient Woodlands on Sugarloaf, nr Abergavenny

Sugarloaf Mountain from Abergavenny

I  have placed the two pastel painting below directly above one another as they show parts of the steep path up Sugarloaf in sequence. I almost always paint from photographs and the photos for these paintings were taken the very first time I ventured up Sugarloaf, in the late afternoon of a very hot August Day.

It was cool under the gnarled and twisted trees, which are part of an Ancient Woodland, but I think you can see how hot it was when I emerged into the open at the top of the path. There then follows a much more leisurely, flatter pathway, with sheep either side, before the really steep climb to the summit begins. Maybe you can follow the route on the profile of the mountain above?

It's possible to drive quite a lot of the way up Sugarloaf to a little carpark with  a fabulous view down over Abergavenny. But I prefer city driving to the narrow, steep and winding hills and I somehow managed to leave one of my mudflaps in a hedge up there, probably when I had to manoevre to allow a car to pass! 

I actually found being alone in the wooded part of the climb quite spooky and I much prefer to do that walk with friends or family!

The start of the climb...

Emerging out into the sunlight and a more leisurely gradient - for a while!