Autumn Cottage Revisited

This is a reworking of a painting I did a couple of years ago while staying at my brothers house in France. Is it better than the original? Maybe, maybe not, but as always when painting the same subject it takes a different form and then becomes a completely new painting. Acrylic Ink and Acrylic on canvas board.

Buachaille Etive Mor with Black Rock Cottage.

I Just got back from an amazing couple of weeks in " The Lake District " 

This painting is actually of Scotland but I was inspired to paint it by the magnificent Lakeland Mountains.

 It is Black Rock Cottage with Buachaille Etive Mor ( the herdsman of Etive ) in the background.

The Buachaille stands at the head of Glencoe.

Fire Fiesta San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain

This is my painting of a horse being ridden through bonfires at Las Luminarias festival in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain. In honour of Saint Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of animals. horses are ridden through bonfires on the night before the official day of honouring animals in Spain. The tradition, which is hundreds of years old, is meant to purify and protect the horse throughout the coming year and dates back to the great plague. The horse tail is bound to prevent it catching fire. The painting is Acrylic Ink and acrylic.

Forget Macdonalds

BURGERS AT THE BEACH in Happisburgh Norfolk sells the most mouth watering burgers I have ever tasted. Choice of three, steak, crab or veggie, all delicious. Owners Andrew and Jo Jo are most delightful and welcoming. Also very interesting. They gave up ' normal ' jobs to run this great little cafe and after the season leave in their camper van to over winter in Portugal along with their dog To To. My good friend Bryan also has a camper van and lives in Portugal. That's him in the last photo and he gave this lovely couple his address in Portugal and is hoping for a visit next winter. If you are on holiday in Norfolk be sure to try one of these amazing burgers

A New Insect!

 What is this amazing insect? Any ideas anyone? I was sitting peacefully fishing when I felt something on my bare leg. It didn't want to release my leg but I managed to ease it off onto my fishing towel. Seems harmless as it didn't bite and it was released unharmed as was the beautiful carp I caught too. But what was the insect? I have never seen anything like it before.

Her name is Socks

This is Jo's dog. She is called Socks because all four feet are white. However she has had an operation on her front paws and now has these very fetching red socks to protect the wounds. Not at all sorry for herself as she is being spoiled rotten!

In the Stocks at Kirkby Malham

Simon and I didn't really deserve to be put in The Stocks but our walking group thought we should be!These well preserved stocks are in the churchyard at Kirkby Malham in the Yorkshire Dales. Three days super walking from Newfield Hall.

A Wonderful Day

The English Lake District is one of my most favourite places on this planet. This was a wonderful day out during my recent visit to my good friend John. In the first photo I am walking up to Hardknott Fell with the Scarfell range in the background. The third photo is of a frog half way down off the fell. How it survived there with no water anywhere near is another of natures miracles. This was a perfect day, not too hot, little wind and a stunning approach walk to the head of Eskdale. The previous night John cooked a succulent leg of local lamb with mixed salad ( mostly grown in his living room ) and vegetables so we were well set up to enjoy the climb.

Peter Sallis. Wonderful voice of Wallace

If you've ever laughed at Wallace and Gromit or The Last of the Summer Wine then you, like me, will be sad to hear of the death of Peter Sallis. Sallis's wonderful voice always makes me nostagic for Yorkshire and Lancashire. Reading his obituary today I was surprised at his many other roles ( and not just Wensleydale cheese ) including Chekhov and in Orson Welles Moby Dick.Another surprising thing was that this unassuming man had a tempestuous marriage. He separated from his wife no less the 16 times before divorcing and then would you believe it remarrying! It's the quiet ones you know! I will miss that voice.

life enhanced by dark

I delight in the contrast between light and shade.

Early or late in the day the shadows thrown by the sun are always interesting. In this painting ( my third of the common Bindweed ) I have tried to capture the pulsating life flowing through these flowers.

 It is a metaphor for human life too. In times of darkness we need the power of light and are drawn towards it.
Painting size. 40cm x 40cm ( 16" x 16" ) Acrylic on canvas.

My controversial painting

My controversial painting ' Sitting on the Fence ' sold today. Why was it controversial? Because I made ( perhaps naively ) a comment that in the interests of social harmony perhaps rather than fuel division with our speech maybe we should sit on the fence. I was only playfully saying something about the title. Maybe I am a bird brain but I was astonished by the hostile reaction! Even my brother seemed to think I was a Fascist sympathiser! Anyway I hope the buyer enjoys the peace suggested in my painting.

Another Autumn Painting

This second Autumn Painting is broadly the same subject as the previous post but painted in a looser and less detailed way. Some people like this more than the other but by no means all. Art is subjective after all!
Overall frame size 67cm x 57cm Painting size 46cm x 35cm. Substantial white frame with off white mount.

This will appear on my website in due course.

Autumn Memories

Sitting on the Fence

In these contentious times I can't help wondering if political and religious differences are poisoning our humanity. These differences are a dialogue of the deaf. Maybe we should just keep our opinions to ourselves and just peacefully sit on the fence. My acrylic painting titled ' Sitting on the fence '

Where are the Poppies?

I was in Osmotherley North Yorkshire over the New Year and finished this painting. Staying just outside the village in a farm holiday cottage I was asked by the farmers wife if she could have a look at my paintings. I was putting them into my car wrapped in a blanket so I had to unwrap them. She took one glance at this painting and exclaimed " Poppies ". I was delighted, not because she obviously liked it but because there are no Poppies in the painting. This pleased me as my intention was for the viewer to make the subject from what was only an impression.