From Dawn Till Dusk
View some images from the book
From Dawn Till Dusk is Darren Woodhead’s voyage through the seasons with paper, brush and pencil. The book portrays the natural history of his home area in south-east Scotland and also farther afield. In a wealth of drawings and paintings, together with diary extracts and field observations, Darren distills his reactions to the activity and moods of the natural world around him.
All of Darren’s work is produced outside, directly from life. There is no studio. Instead he responds to what is happening before him, keeping an immediacy and spontaneity to his work. Working quickly, within the theatre of the outdoors, wind may buffet the pages, rain or snow may stipple the paint, but this is all part of the events of the day’s outing and helps provide authenticity to the resulting images.
The works in this book highlight the subtle changes of each successive season, from Mountain Hares painted in freezing conditions in the dead of winter where paint struggles to dry, to the flamboyant displays of charismatic Long-tailed Ducks as spring emerges. Darren depicts the vigorous bursts of colour provided by the butterflies of the summer and evokes the song of Wood Warblers in the Scottish oak woodland.
We are invited to contrast the cacophony of seabird colonies in the height of their frantic breeding activity with the solitary beauty of a White-tailed Eagle chick growing against a Hebridean backdrop. As the return of wintering Pink-footed Geese heralds the year’s full rotation, we are given a worthy finale to the cycle of seasons and the natural dramas enacted every day, from dawn until dusk.
The hardback, fully illustrated, 156pp book retails at £35 plus postage and packing. Contact Darren at info@darrenwoodheadartist.co.uk about purchasing a copy.
