I’m so lucky to have these guys just at the top of our road at the moment… love them.

Exciting times!

Lately I’ve done a lot of drawing and not a lot of blogging. I’ve discovered the beautiful Croft Farm just near where I live, where curious lambs have been nibbling my sketchbooks and the cows have proved rather indifferent. I’m preparing for a little exhibition at Baker and Barista and trying not to panic.

Hard to believe, I know, but this studio will be looking ordered and sprightly for our 4a Christmas party on Friday which starts off our open studios week. Aside from the tidying part, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to share my little world with people.

Here is Claudia expressing concern at the current state of the studio.

And here is a dog trying not to think about it.

I have had such a fun couple of days. A while ago, I bought some small squares of plywood from a builders merchants to make some quick paintings on and they’ve proved to be one of the best purchases I’ve made this year. It turns out you actually have to make quick paintings on them – the plywood won’t take much paint in one session and lots of layers don’t seem to do it any favours. Plus I have 32 of these bits of wood, which means I’m less scared of ruining them and more free to experiment.
These are some beginnings… and yes, I am desperate for a pet.

These chickens live at the bottom of our garden – they’re both amusing and have lovely colours.

This is taken from an image of my nephew two years ago – he looks a lot more grown up now and makes me laugh more. I don’t work from photos much but when you don’t live near someone, photos of that person take on a different meaning or value. When that person is small and constantly growing, photos of each stage become even more important, each representing a time that will never be again.

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I'm trying to draw outside as much as I can while the weather's still warm. When it gets colder I'll probably start posting studio painting stuff more (and hopefully work on the website… scary stuff!). For now, this is the cow relaxing, proud of its clean bottom.

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