Mary Hyde’s painting of Castle Crag.
A watercolour artist has started on a mission to paint all 214 fells that appear in the guide books written and illustrated by Alfred Wainwright.
Mary Hyde has already caught on canvas Castle Crag – a favourite fell of hers – and Helvellyn and is seeking help from people to provide photographs so that she can paint the remaining 212.
She started painting during the Covid lockdown to get some head space and a bit of time to herself.
“I was a single mum of two and we were in the house with no support for three months,” said Mary, who fell in love with the Lake District when her mother and step dad bought a place in Braithwaite. “I was going mad!”
She set up an Instagram account and “to my surprise” started to sell a few paintings and started Mary Hyde Art.
“Being out in the hills has always been my happy place, where I have felt the most free and my mind empty,” said Mary, who lives in Hertfordshire. “I don’t think anything can beat putting on your boots and waterproofs and reaching the top, eating that squashed sandwich and taking time to reflect.
“I have an over-active brain but when I am walking it feels empty.”
Mary started bringing her children – Jack, 11 and eight-year-old Amelie – to the Lakes in 2013, and climbed Catbells with children back in 2018. Her children have now got the walking bug and Jack has climbed 15 Wainwrights and Amelie has done 10.
“This joint passion has really helped all of us,” said Mary. “Jack is autistic and he is a different child when we are out on the fells. I can see his shoulders drop, his anxiety leaves and his mind is free.
“I have always felt inspired by the Lakes, and I love a challenge, so my boyfriend Nick said to me whilst we were in Portinscale, ‘why don’t you paint every Wainwright?’ Challenge accepted!
“I hope to paint all 214 in watercolour and the goal is to put them on display somewhere in the Lake District. I just need to find somewhere appropriate.
“I would love to do limited edition prints of them all and give a donation to Keswick Mountain Rescue.
“In every painting I hide a dragonfly, it is my own game of Where’s Wally.
“In this series of paintings I am also hiding many words and creatures in them too!”
Photos or words to be hidden in the paintings should be emailed to: [email protected]
Visit Mary’s Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/mary_hyde_art for more.
