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...

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?!

Above you, below me ...

It's wet and rainy here, the ponds in Sudbrooke woods are filling with water.

The paths are all boggy and suck your wellingtons off your feet. Fudge the dog doesn't seem to mind though, nor the aroma she gives off as she dries out in front of the fire. Yuk!

Just making memories ...

I'm still working on this series of paintings of Sudbrooke woods, I walk through them with Fudge the dog and the children so often it has left an imprint. Its in my skin. It changes daily depending on the weather, the light, the time of year. Moving to rural Lincolnshire from urban Manchester was the biggest change I ever faced. Not as dramatic in the old city centre, although in Manchester they liked to change the direction of the one way system, always good for a laugh!

When these memories fade, in my ripe old age ...

Having one of those pottering around days today, with a mooch thrown in when i fancy a change. The weather is doing the same, a bit of rain, some sun, nothing too challenging... I'd take the dog for a walk but shes asleep in her basket. A perfect Sunday.

All will be revealed ...

Here is the second ink drawing I did of Sudbrooke woods, this one was on handmade A1 size watercolour paper so I had to photograph it and didn't quite get the light right. I took a second photo of the detail underneath

In my dreams, I'm always strong.

I was listening to Mercury Rev and still get blown away by 'The Dark is Rising' It made me paint for the first time in ages. I've been down to the woods, just a few yards from the front door. There are some wonderful places in there with fantastic light and shade - I may stay with some woodland paintings for a little while, what do you think?

Some paintings I had forgotten about!

I was digging through a collection of scans and photos on my old computer and found these. Living in Lincolnshire means there is no shortage of wonderful scenery. I used to struggle for ideas of what to paint. I was reading a book about Edward Hopper who said 'paint what is around you' - he is absolutly right!