Churchyard in Burnham Market

After our chilly day in Wells-next-the-Sea, the wind died down for us and we had a most productive morning sketching in the churchyard at St. Mary’s Church in Burnham Market. We chose this view of the building primarily because it was so warm in that spot, but I’m never really sure what the protocol is for sketching in cemeteries. I’m always careful not to stand on top of a burial plot and not to touch the headstones. I guess each cemetery is different. This was a popular place for dog walkers and others out for a stroll, and even though I was sure a caretaker would ask us to leave, it never happened.

The rhythm of the overlapping headstones was what I found most fascinating about this scene. I painted them with a variety of dark tones, mostly using Umber, Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue to get a range of earthy and mossy darks, and I used a bit of splatter too, for added texture.