All the Little Things

In Autumn last year I was asked to do a painting of Norland Moor. Even though it is quite nearby I had never been. I think I went at the best time as it was dressed in coppers against cool grey skies. I did some sketching and took lots of photographs to work from for my painting. The grasses really appealed to me and they looked so peaceful blowing in the wind. There were lots of intriguing paths scattered through them.. This photograph was my inspiration for my final painting. I turned the colours up a bit, particularly in the...

I had got out of the habit of regularly walking in the countryside (work had taken over a bit), so it was a lovely relief to start again. Here is a walk I made to redress the balance: My friend and I walked through the woods of Palace House Road in Hebden Bridge and then up and up into the fields. I have really fond memories of this walk as it is where I used to walk my friends puppy. It was actually quite a dull day; a bit windy, a bit rainy, but it was amazing still. Nature always...

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...

A gallery that has stocked my prints for a very long time is the beautiful Leeds Craft Centre and Design Gallery they have always been so supportive even when I was a fledgling artist. I remember walking past it so many years ago dragging my huge portfolio case to Leeds College of Art when I studied there. To imagine I would have my art there one day! My foundation at Leeds was such a special year. Drawing all the time, expanding my ideas of what drawing was; painting with sticks, playing with scale and venturing out and sketching. A truly wonderful...

To commission a painting can feel a big leap from buying artwork already made.  How do you guarantee that the artist is on the same page as you in regards to cost, look and feel? And as an artist I feel that too. I really want you to be happy with your commission and convey the atmosphere and colour palette you had in mind. How it begins... I chat to you about the place you would like painting, the size, the colours, the season, what kind of sky it is! I may ask you for photographs, which helps see the...