I'm not used to blogging but I thought it would be a good idea to let you know the inspiration for each of my paintings. I've also put them in chronological order.
Sunshine on Bathwick Hill
This was the first painting I'd done for nearly 30 years. This, in other words is the first of my new 2015 efforts, the one that precedes all the others I have, and hopefully will post on this site.
It is from a series of photos I took on a lovely morning walking down Bathwick Hill Road (-in Bath) just before a wonderful canal boat party to celebrate a friend of the family's 70th birthday. It was a fabulous day, and quite fitting that from such a good time should come the inspiration to paint again.
Guardian Of The Dark Wood
Burnham Beeches in Buckinghamshire is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, especially if you end up in their wonderful tea shop!
This painting was inspired by photographs taken on one such visit to this woodland paradise. Sat in the middle of a clearing standing proud, aloof and all alone was the thistle. Behind him, just the creeping slightly menacing darkness of the woods.
Breaking Cover
I live close to my parents and every Sunday I'm treated (-perhaps spoilt is a better word!) to a wonderful Sunday lunch. On such an occasion in the Summer of 2015 I took my camera to help me better enjoy their beautifully kept garden.
From this series of photos I was inspired to paint this piece. Slightly more stylized background than I would normally apply but that only served to make the flowers breaking cover the stars!
Edge Of The World
A painting that is inspired from our love of the Lake District.
This piece came about from a series of photos taken on a Spring half term holiday in the lakes with the family.
A crisp, sunny, slightly hazy day. The tree precariously clinging to it's chosen vantage point overlooking a wonderful, lightly misted valley... Certainly the edge of it's world!
Old Harry Rocks
The Old Harry Rocks are a series of rocks jutting out just up the coast from Swanage.
My interest in Swanage stemmed from my first ever school trip as a young boy. I then came back as a young adult with my partner, and later it became a favoured holiday resort when we had our son.
Sheltered From The Sun
One of our favourite things to do as a family on Saturdays is a day spent in London. One such activity, we are all particularly fond of, is a visit to Kew Gardens. On such occasions my camera is kept very busy!
Sheltered from the sun was inspired by photos taken in one of the many greenhouses in Kew as the sun battled it's way through the foliage looking for flowers to light up, creating many variations of the colour green in spectacular style.
Cold Frame
This painting is all about the spectacular Yorkshire Dales. We've had two holidays in Settle (-too good for just one visit!) and this piece was taken from the second of the two, in the March 2013 half term.
It was an incredible holiday as there was still left over snow everywhere so we even got to pack a sled! The beauty of it was the roads were clear enough to get there, but there was enough snow in the fields and hedge rows to upgrade already beautiful landscapes into an earthly paradise.
Anyway this particular scene depicts such a chilly snow speckled landscape, through the frame of two trees with their still wintry branches and a strange green moss covered wall, providing the 'cold frame'.
Signs Of Autumn
In recent years we've discovered the beauty and joy of Wales.
This piece was inspired by our 2013 October stay in the delightful harbour town of Porthmadog.
It was a lovely day for a woodland walk. As the walk came towards the end we happened upon this magical view over the fields and far away.
One Frosty Morning
Ambleside, the chosen venue for many a holiday through my 50 years.
Restricted to half terms vacations only, this picture came to be because of one such week away with my partner and our son in October 2010.
We set off early walking through the park toward the lovely cave at Rydal Water. On route this magical vision presented itself, and from a series of photos I took came the painting you see here.
And yes, we did cross it...Even though we didn't need to!
Light At The End
Suffolk has always been close to my heart. My father grew up in the seaside town of Lowestoft and that meant for us growing up, numerous visits to see my grandparents, cousins, the sea, and of course the Claremont Pier!
In the October 2011 half term and now with a family of my own family we based ourselves in the quaint seaside town of Aldeburgh.
The walk that inspired this particular painting was a 4 mile circular walk near Sizewell. For a while we walked along the stony beaches until we were directed up to a nice path that paralleled the sea. That was when we encountered this enchanting little tunnel and the inspired photo opportunity.
The figures silhouetted are my partner and our son. Interestingly in the original photos his outstretched arm was at such a strange unrealistic angle that I had to straighten him out!
This painting is not one of my more detailed works. I'm often guilty of over working pieces but because the lighting at the end of the tunnel was so atmospheric on this occasion I just put down my brushes and left it alone!
Pretty In Pink
Pretty in Pink came to me while we sheltered from the rain down a country lane between Dunston and Whitby on our recent North Yorkshire half term vacation.
It was one of those country walks when you feel the rain is always going to be there or thereabouts through the walk's duration, but you determine to do it anyway.
Having climbed a long winding country lane through the village of Dunston, and having negotiated a (-thankfully) largely water free ford, under somewhat sparse cover provided by Autumnal trees we rested a while to prepare for the open farmland stretch of the walk.
It was then I noticed this Pink beauty in the hedgerow, seemingly unconcerned by the shortening of the days and the onset of Winter...Or even the ever present rain for that matter.
Pictures taken, we left her to her business and we got on with ours...and however wet we got as the walk played out through fields and woodland, just like Pretty in Pink, we didn't mind, in fact we enjoyed it.
White Christmas
Every year is the same living in the south of England, snow?...Not a chance!
This year was so very mild the view in the front garden was not only missing any form of white Winter blanket, but flowers were actually in bloom!
One such flower was this beautiful lilac and white Anemone De Caen seen here.
Winter Surprise
Winter surprise twinned with the painting 'White Christmas', came about due to the mild (-even by UK standards) Christmas we've enjoyed this year.
Another Anemone De Caen but this time a lonely Red and white one peering out at the world some months earlier than perhaps nature had originally planned.
Tenby Harbour
The colourful, beautiful town of Tenby in South Wales in Easter of 2015. We enjoyed 7 days holiday within it's old medieval walls. Golden beaches seem to surround the town whichever direction you choose to walk.
The picturesque harbour is built into the corner on North Beach, between the town and castle hill.
Whitby Abbey
So This piece was inspired by two brilliant weeks spent in the friendly North Yorkshire town of Whitby...in Goth Week (-of course!) on both occasions. The photographs I worked from to (-painstakingly!) produce this piece were of a glorious crisp Autumn day in October 2014 on one such week.
To get to the Abbey you first have to climb the town's infamous 199 steps and walk past the church mentioned in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Interestingly enough on this first of two stays in this glorious seaside town we actually stayed in the very building where Mr Stoker himself was inspired to write the book whilst also holidaying...At no 6 Royal Crescent, albeit not on the same floor!
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