Recent Works

Rediscovering Oils

I understand when artists decide to only use 1 medium and perhaps paint mainly 1 subject, but the range of mediums that I use came about by chance and fitting painting into busy family life.

I started out using oils at an evening class, but changed to acrylics when paint that did not dry quickly, and smelt rather strongly, was not appropriate when I had children.

I learnt to use watercolours at a Botanical Illustration course, as that was the only painting class available to fit in with my work, and later on was asked to run some watercolour classes.

I discovered that gouache was more suitable when I started writing poetry and illustrating it, and found it fitted well between watercolour and acrylic.

Recently I have started to use oils again! I hope that you enjoy seeing the differences in my paintings whatever the medium and subject.

The painting below is in oils "Stream near Machynlleth"

Bramley Apple Exhibition Prize

An annual painting competition and exhibition is held in Southwell to celebrate Southwell's world-famous Bramley Seedling Apple.

I decided to enter and did a watercolour from a photo taken at the fruit farm in Southwell. I also entered an acrylic that I did in Covid lockdown, which is based on the work of Rene Magritte, whose work often featured apples.

I was delighted to win the acrylic prize.

Previously...

The latest illustrated poem that I have done is all about getting out and about in wet weather and looking for rainbows - Let's go hunt rainbows

The historic setting of Papplewick Pumping Station, which celebrated 140 years since the James Watt beam engines were first fired up, has been the inspiration for some acrylics. I have volunteered there for many years, but have never done any paintings of it.

I have been doing some landscapes in watercolour and acrylic, inspired by the birds, stunning landscape and gardens at Clumber Park.

I had plenty of time on my hands due to covid lockdowns and have spent a lot of time doing portraits, thanks to #PAOTW, Portrait Artist of The Week, a live stream from Sky Arts, which proved to be a challenging and rewarding exercise. I took part in the 10 years celebration of the program by painting Sir Lenny Henry.

My acrylic paintings allow me to explore the use of colour due to the dense pigmentation and enable a wide use of surface treatments to be used.

I have also been using limited colour ranges in watercolour, using 3 colours and mixing everything from them.

I have completed a series of acrylic paintings about birds that we commonly see in the UK, and our relationship with them. These illustrate my poem Take to the Wing.