Very excited to finally have a crop of healthy, vibrant nasturtiums to paint after the first flush was demolished by little black beetles in July! It’s also been really nice to get back to a bit of painting after all the preparations for open s
O P E N S T U D I O S 2 0 2 5 I had a brilliant start to my open studios over the weekend! The sun came out and it was so lovely to meet everyone who visited. Thank you to everyone who popped in to chat, drink coffee, buy paintings and cards or e
O P E N S T U D I O S S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 This little study of a stack of antique Georgian bowls will be one of the paintings available at my Open Studios in September. I’m really looking forward to taking part in the Northants and Ru
I’ve been painting the sweet peas again! This is a section of a larger painting with some of my pots included. I think this might be the last of the sweet peas now, they are struggling to keep going in the heat. The ground on this one was dark
The sweet peas have had another flush of blooms so I have been painting them again in a still life today. I might make a few adjustments once it’s dry but I’ll see. They are getting very thirsty in this hot weather and a few plants have
It’s always worth planting sweet peas at the beginning of the year as they really do bring such joy in summer with their bright colours, beautiful scent and abundance of crazy tendrils and stalks. Painting them is fun - finding your way throu
Enjoying painting flowers from the garden-fleabane and a few stems of lavender. The flowers are doing so well this hot summer, even though we’ve had little rain! It was lovely to get going on this one as I haven’t painted much over the
Detail of a painting I’m working on this week. It’s a larger version of the study I made earlier, a 30x40 cm panel. I actually really like this little section as it is so maybe I should do another painting just of this! Oil on linen pa
A little 18x24 study, working on some ideas for a larger painting. Giving the stack some space to draw you in and create a sense if peace. Study of stacked bowls 18x24cm oil on linen #oilstudy #stilllifestudy #paintingpots #stilllifeart #smallpaint
A section of the painting I’m working on at the moment. It’s a larger one, 50x40 cm and I’m really enjoying this size. The money plant has grown a lot since I painted it at the start of the year and the leaves are quite a bit big
Exploring a blue china ginger jar and egg. A study of greys, whites and creams. Such subtle tonal differences, I spent much of the time just staring, looking and finding the colours. Ignore the bit of glare on this image , it’s difficult to
Another mini still life painting this week. I’m enjoying these little 5”x7”s, a nice way to get going after a few weeks off over Easter. You may remember these little pots from when I painted them last year. They are old escargot
I’m working on a few minis this week. I spent a while choosing the dishes and order of the stack etc and then as I painted it, it felt very familiar. Then I realised it’s virtually the same as a one I painted 18 months ago! Just shows ho
I had a lovely time at the private view of the TALP exhibition yesterday and it was a very nice surprise to win the Daler Rowney award for my painting Reaching Out. I have two paintings in The Artist exhibition and there are so many wonderful piec
Now the school holidays are over I’ve been able to finish this still life which I started before Easter. I think this will be last of the hellebores for this year as they have lost their lovely bright centres and are forming their seed heads.