The Arrival Of Spring In Woldgate, East Yorkshire In 2011 (twenty eleven) - 6 May

Stillness pervades this scene of weeds and wildflowers that seem to stretch almost endlessly into the distance until our eye is caught by a line of trees marking the edge of a wood. Small scribbles of white denote flowers and a few leaves are outlined in a darker green in the foreground until the mass of vegetation becomes indistinguishable. While this is clearly a digital drawing the artist’s hand is always present, in the range of marks and the choice of colour as well as the perspective and composition which show Hockney’s confidence in this new medium.

This print is one of 49 digital drawings, that later became prints, of the area surrounding Hockney's home in Yorkshire. He returned to his birthplace in the 2000s having lived for almost four decades on the West Coast, and began recording its changing light and seasons in works that offer a sharp contrast to the flat light of his California paintings. After spending most of his career producing prints with the help of an etching plate, a studio and often an assistant, the iPad became an extension of his sketchbook, allowing him to reproduce his drawings at the touch of a button and ensuring he remains prolific well into his old age.