Flat Coated Retriever

 

fine art dog print

"At Gunnerside Ghyll"

This drawing began life during our walks with our dogs in High Cleugh, Ripon, where I spotted a small stream tumbling water down between rocky banks. It gave rise to the scene as you see it, which is almost entirely imaginary.

Gunnnerside Gill exists as a place - "Ghyll" is the Cumbrian spelling but is pronounced the same and means a stream.

The original drawing took 172 hours to complete. I spent five weeks drawing the foliage and a further two weeks saw the completion of the Flat Coated Retrievers. Then, on the final afternoon, I drew the water, which was the special challenge that I set myself and enjoy in every drawing — I had no idea how to achieve the effect required but it's amazing what a little pressure can achieve!

The original drawing is now in a private collection in Switzerland.