Smoke gets in your eyes

Salisbury at Night

 I have enjoyed drawing and painting from an early age.

much of my inspiration comes from nature .

Landscapes in all seasons, wild or calm seascapes,

the setting of the sun vibrant with colour, and domestic and wild animals.

I use most mediums, oils, acrylic, pastels, each has

 its own unique character to help me to create my painting's

With my latest art I will endeavour to give a narrative of what it says to me, and what made me paint it as well.

Although there are times when the painting just flows, with no order and with no real idea of where it will take me, but that is the fun being able to build up a picture, and as it progresses I let it speak to me instead.

I do hope you enjoy my new art and the story I unfurl

A New addition to my gallery

 Prints

for sale

The Parties Over When a Lovely Flame Dies

'The Parties Over When a Lovely Flame Dies

With this painting I started with the window and loved the way the morning light streams through it, I added the pillars to encapsulate the view, next came the figure looking somewhat sad and melancholy hence the description of what she may be experiencing, perhaps the strains of the last song she heard the evening before ,

“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” echoes through her mind, which has led on to the title of the painting.

By placing the shoes by her feet also could suggest she may have been dancing the night away and had come home as the new day dawned

Adding a few stems of white Calla lilies onto the table with candles both lit and doused added atmosphere, the books were an extra touch to add more interest

The Highland Cattle

I do enjoy painting the magnificent beasts of the highlands, the rugged coats of these cattle make them look as if no matter what the weather throws their way in Scotland they will survive.

It’s a joy to paint any scenery in this part of Britain, the heather and bracken give such vibrancy to the hills and mountains, over looking the locks and awesome water falls.

For me to be able to create this kind of art is a real joy, and to be honest, I feel lost when the painting is finished

Pheasants and the Old Barn

I was recently asked if I had any paintings of pheasants, up to this point I had not, but why not, I asked myself, we are surrounded by these birds here is rural countryside of Wiltshire.

 And so began my quest to find a setting to put these magnificent, if slightly stupid birds into a painting, I say stupid because they have no road sense and will persist in walking out into the road, instead of using their wings to fly above the danger of passing traffic, as a consequence we ride along the road counting the cost of casulaties, which is a great shame.

 In my painting they are safe in a field, which appears to once been perhaps a thriving farm,

However the old barn lays testament to the passing of time and decay and lack of maintenance has proved to be the winner.

But in the context of a painting it gives a great deal of interest and pulls together the warm colours used making the pheasants sit nicely in the landscape.

A Weekend in Marrakesh

IWhen I first saw this photograph and enlarged it, I was amazed at all the very many articles that were displayed to catch the eye. It was with out a doubt and Aladdin’s cave of treasure.

I was captivated by the all colour’s which blazed amongst what appeared to be in some areas poverty, broken roofs, tarpaulin strung across a window.

And yet there were the signs of opulence in the magnificent carved pillars and wooden doors.

I was also surprised by the lack of litter on the streets in fact there appeared to be none how refreshing is that,

I thoroughly enjoyed every minuet of painting it too.

With many thanks to Irene and Ron for letting me use this image.

 I have been approached about using it as promotional material at the hotel the couple stayed at.

Bracken.

Bracken is another commission,

and was  won on the 2010 Stars Appeal Auction.

This year I would like you to paint our Old Dog Bracken,A collie/lurcher cross, she was our first dog and died aged 17 !

She was an absolute legend in every way

The Old Mill Harnham

Water Meadows Salisbury

The old mill Harnham water meadows a famous area of Salisbury where John Constable painted the Cathedral.

 This painting is done with a lot of pallet knife work to give texture