All the Little Things — Hebden Bridge

This painting began with a walk as most of them do. A late summer evening when the chill had pushed the heat aside . The only warmth that was left was in crimson shoulders and noses. The mist descended. I began thinking about this painting with sketchbook notes and drawings.. The shapes of the plants, colours and the softness of light.  When I began painting I thought about how the path leads on to a thin track with a heart stopping drop. How I always chastise myself for walking that way when the light begins to fade. But then how...

After endless interviews for teaching jobs that I never got or in the end did not even exist (due to cuts in the arts) I decided to just create my own classes. This was about eight years ago and I just needed a venue. I remembered that my friend Hannah had a spare room at her studio and so I plucked up the courage to ask if I could use the room sometimes for workshops.  She said; "Why don't you just have it as your studio all the time?" and I thought ; "Why not?" I don't think I was...

Sometimes you decide to go for a walk and then the weather starts conspiring against you. The skies darken and the horizontal rain says hello. Sometimes you stay in, missing the open space and spending too much time on your phone. Then sometimes you think, blow it, I am going anyway.  So me and my friend grabbed our coats and went up into the hills. And it was glorious. The rain stopped on cue. Curlews, kestrels and bats! Swooped, glided and fluttered around us. Rabbits hopped and little lambs tails shook. And the skies looked like this... They made me...

So along with people who have bought summer seating, spring clothes and barbecues, I have probably contributed to the snow this week as I decided at the beginning I would write a blog about my Spring paintings.. About this time last year when lockdown was all weird and new, the sun came out. I remember delivering local orders; walking paths I had never trodden with my phone in hand, optimistically following arrows. The woods were full of blue..  At the same time I was commissioned to paint some bluebell woods. It was such a lovely painting to do for the...

I am easing back into working in my studio. I feel so blessed to have it; the windows are amazing. Obviously with lockdown it felt better to work at home, because I have a desk there and don't need much else. But I had a few collections to be there for, so I am enjoying the light, the blossom outside my window and the goldfinches at my bird feeder!  I have been in the studio about six years I think! It came about because I was looking for a place to teach my art classes. I knew the amazing Hannah Nunn...