As a rule I don’t paint dressed up dogs…

Spring has well and truly arrived at Micklem’s Farm in Berkshire - we couldn’t have picked a better day yesterday to be capturing light and painting landscapes in the style of ‘The Impressionists’.

You can’t draw the figure as a static object- it is always moving - even it if is only through breath.  This is why it is so important to spend lots of time carefully working your edges- to create the impression of movement, to soften features, to capture light.

When I draw something, or someone, it feels like I am not only looking them- but really ‘seeing’ them…

Try to paint the essence of the scene rather than the scene itself. Remember the light, the temperature, the atmosphere, who you were with.  What triggered you to take the photo- why there? Why then? - paint that!

The 4/7 drawings that just about survived the bin from last nights life drawing class…#RUSTY

Your ideas need time to develop so don’t be afraid to try a scene multiple times and see how it evolves.

Autumn, Archery Lawn, Leamington Spa

The students had a wonderful creative day painting a floral still life in oils. Focusing on tone, colour mixing and brushwork.

When teaching there is always a point later in the day where I find myself saying to students - don’t be a slave to what you see - ‘you’re the artist - you do what works for the painting from this point’…

Completed student paintings from a recent workshop at the beautiful Micklem’s Farm Creative Workshops. Whilst the students are all using the same guidelines, I am keen that they have the freedom to find their own style, take some risks and experiment. It’s amazing how different they all are.

Bandstand Bailando, Brighton Beach

I’ve had an amazing week that has included 3 evenings of dancing, 2 days teaching painting, 1 evening watching live music and a day sculpting clay!

…reduce the elements down to their simplest forms….then build them up from there, being mindful of balancing colour, proportion, perspective, direction, shape, tone, rhythm.

To achieve balance: use the ‘mostly, some and a bit’ rule… making sure one value predominates. The other 2 values should be divided unequally.

Golden Hour, Leamington Spa

…”your aim is to capture emotion, convey a feeling, dance to the beat: draw the figure, but with expression and feeling and flair”…

In contrast to Impressionism’s spontaneity, Pointillism adopted a more scientific approach to colour, grounded in contemporary colour theory. Tiny dots of pure colour are applied to create images that blend optically in the viewer’s eye.

NEW Abstract Sunflowers workshop, launching summer 2026. We will draw, cut, collage and paint, exploring colour, composition, shape and tone.

Starting from observation and Notan collage, you’ll progressively abstract your design, choosing to paint or collage in colour.

Painting Pointillist style and planning another new workshop! 🎨 Pointillism emerged in the mid-1880s, pioneered by French artists Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, and went on to influence modern movements such as Fauvism and Cubism.