Shaking off the heavy one ...

Sunday lunch after a heavy session on the Saturday night... it's like falling off a horse, you just have to get back on it again! A fabulous weekend away with the best of friends, organised by Phil for Sharon's 40th. Just been out for the biggest meal to celebrate his big day, Happy Birthday Phil!

But they haven't got their mittens on...

Oh my! No schools open, can't get out of the village - I'll pop a log on the fire and have a brew instead!

Happy Halloween!

Not overly happy with pagan rituals and stuff but we love Halloween in our house, we can be creative and eat lots of sweets - kids love it! (and me :-))

Sit with me a while and let me listen ...

I was looking for some textured paper to do a pen and ink drawing on, found some old cardboard off a box and sketched instead...

Fresh for you daily ...

I found this tiny ice cream van (trailer!) in York the other week. It is really retro! Loved it...

A photograph for a change...

It's impossible not to paint the woods I live in. An old Edward Hopper quote... paint your surroundings. I have spent so long trying to work out what to paint and gave in and just painted what is outside my front door...

I swear, when I look in your eyes I can see your soul...

I have been working on this for ages and learnt so much... one thing is to keep going and going, then, keep going. I wish I knew when the moment arrives when you can say OK i'm there time and then stop. I stopped because I needed a nice cup of tea and a sit down...

Dance like nobody is watching...

A little bit of sunshine for you! Just so you know I do have bright colours in my paintbox...

Pass in Time...

I'm back in the woods again, working with acrylic on canvas this time. There is paint all over the place! I like splattering it on the canvas but for some reason it goes in other places too?!

God knows what is hiding, in that world of little consequence ...

The best pictures are the ones that come and find you, rather than the ones you go looking for don't you think? I have found a new place to people watch - Whisby Nature Reserve. I swear, I have no idea what these people spend an age looking at. It must have been good, they had all the necessary equipment for recording their sightings... Me? pen, bit of paper... and a rather nice Latte :-)

Sigh no more ...

I'm back after a break that was way too long! Happily painting again.

Carholme Road, Lincoln

I got up early one morning, frosty, but a strong low sun. On the road into Lincoln is the old racecourse which has a row of trees running down both sides, I had been meaning to paint this scene for ages and will go back and do this one again, it lacks something ...

When I get home ...

I'm not sure I have shared this painting... it might look familiar as I used some of it for my site logo. I used bathroom tile adhesive mixed with acylic paint to create a bit of texture, it's not fell off the canvas yet!

Take a man of an impressionable age ...

There is a crescent of fabulous buildings at the front of Lincoln Cathedral, if you approach it from the side you miss out all the newer buidings within your eyeline and it is like walking back in time. Drop a sprinkle of snow and it becomes Dickensian. I went out with friends one night before Christmas, as it began snowing heavily I set off walking up the hill to collect my car. I was passing the floodlit Cathedral as people were coming out from a late carol service. I have never seen anything so festive in my days. It is now March and minus five degrees. Now I'm no sceptic but if we are entering a period of global warming, why am I so bloody cold!!!! Love the snow, also love the sun, more of that please! I was in London the other weekend and called at my favourite art shop and picked up some new pens, a set of Letraset promarkers all varoius shades of cool grey. Had a wonderful time with them in my Moley. I'm going back to get a set of warm orange pens ready for the scorching summer that our political people insist we are contributing to.

Walking out of stride...

Still not painting and sketching like I know I should be. I found some charcoal in my studio, an old piece of sponge and an eraser and played around for a bit. I took some photos on the North Yorkshire Moors and dug those out to work with. It's messy but fun!