I’m excited to be exhibiting at ‘Art in the Park’ in Leamington Spa this summer. Please do stop by and say hello!

I love the turquoise and green in the pale pink rose that is next to the neck of the vase. It’s interesting how often turquoise can be subbed for pink, and visa versa, without it looking odd. I think it’s because tonally they are often the same.

If life drawing has taught me anything- it’s to work instinctively and be prepared to fail - often. It’s demanding and hard to get it ‘right’, so i’ve got used to trying and failing, it doesn’t worry me so much anymore, which frees me up to take risks and be more adventurous.

Working to a specific colour palette on top of a ‘bubble wrap printed board! - can you spot it ??!

Two things I love: jugs and coloured glass! It’s so lovely to be able to use them in my paintings…and a good excuse to buy more !!

What it really important with animal portraits is: where and when to stop overnight. You can see here that it was important to get the edges of the animals blended with the background before I let it dry overnight, these joins must be done wet into wet to make the animal sit IN its background and not ON it.

‘Pretty Kitties’ are the hardest kind of animal portrait to get right in my opinion…but what a stunner she is!

Here are my attempts and painting from the reference photos below…have a go yourself - see what workshops are available.

5-35 minute drawings and paintings from life. It’s not just about copying what you see - you’re also trying to create the illusion of movement, mood, balance, weight and tension.

Testing how far I could push the colour boundaries but have it still say ‘Daffodil’!

Using Daffodils as my inspiration again. Starting with chaos and bringing it towards order.

Trying to keep the jug kind of camouflaged!

A great exercise in colour mixing, application and softening the edges to create distant branches, texture and the illusion of depth and movement. A bit too fiddly this size though for my liking.

Inspired by my visit to the ‘Binswood Allotments’ last summer…Featuring pumpkins and butternut squash in a very stylised, vintage setting…that wasn’t planned - just kinda happened!

A great exercise in colour mixing, application and softening the background to give the illusion of depth, alowing your eye to focus on the butterfly.

Using Hellebores from the garden. Drawing, cutting, printing, overlapping, overlaying…using the printed glass Jug as a starting point for the design.

A great excuse to include some beautiful apple blossom in this Blue Tit painting. Softening the edges to create distant branches, fluffy feathers, and the illusion of depth and movement.

Trying to stay loose, keeping the underpainting showing through for the branches gives a lovely mixture of warms and cools with a very limited palette click here to see progress shots .

Loving this palette! Drawing, cutting, printing, overlapping, overlaying…an ever evolving process where the outcome cannot be planned or foreseen.

Life Drawings. Charcoal on paper 5-25 min poses.