A dream Last year I had a dream where I was underwater. There were all kinds of fish swimming around. I seemed to be aware that there were two people walking on the surface of the water. When I woke up, I decided to paint the scene for a painting project whilst the image was … Read more
Paintings of Northumberland I’ve been asked to supply a number of my limited edition prints of Northumberland for a property at Alnmouth. These are the types of project which I really enjoy, using my work to help create a space of rest and atmosphere. Alnmouth is a small town situated on the Northumbrian coast. After … Read more
Painting Holiday It seems like a long time since we’ve been to Italy. We’re still unable to make plans for our next painting holiday because of the uncertainty surrounding COVID 19. Despite our current lockdown, I’m grateful that I do have a rich supply of sketchbook watercolours painted on location to draw inspiration from. Venetian … Read more
Lake District In between lockdowns, Susan and I have tried to take advantage of the freedom on offer to take in some new scenery. In 2020 we managed a drive over to the Lake District. We often stay at the Trout Hotel in Cockermouth which is a great base for the northern lakes and the … Read more
Painting from Life I was recently asked to contribute to a blog post highlighting the Benefits of Painting. Snippets were taken from this piece below which I wrote for them. Painting has many benefits for those who have decided to take it up, even those who are older. Many folk are creative but perhaps struggle to … Read more
Watercolour of Venice This new original watercolour painting of Venice was completed just after the start of the Second Lockdown in the UK. It’s been a painting which I’ve wanted to do since our last visit to Venice in September 2018. As usual, I’d taken my trusty sketchbook and paints with a pocket brush. I … Read more
Anniversary The first of October is a landmark date for me. It was this day in 1984 that I went self employed as an artist. I began undertaking all kinds of Painting Commissions. Over the last 36 years I’ve been through all kinds of challenges, particularly during the recession which began in 2008 with the … Read more
Southwold In 2003 Susan and I went to a wedding in Southwold, Suffolk. We enjoyed a day wandering around this picturesque seaside town. It was always in the back of our minds to return one day. When we had to cancel our painting holiday in Italy this June because of COVID we decided that it … Read more
Life Drawing One of the frustrating aspects of Lockdown has been the lack of Life Drawing classes. For several years I was able to attend weekly life drawing classes where I could develop my Figure Drawing. Usually I would tackle the subject in oils if it was the same pose throughout the evening. It was … Read more
Junction 42 What did you do during Lockdown? It’s a question we’re all likely to get asked in the years to come. I spent almost three months of lockdown working from home, working on paintings, processing internet orders and my Junction 42 work . The Junction 42 work consisted of regular phone calls to my … Read more