Those who dare read these notes should be made aware that my other life is more mundane but an absolute necessity to keep bread on the table. That said my work boils down to requiring a creative streak to be most effective and sustaining. So in a fit of blue mooding I brought two of the parts of my life together in a writing called 'why develop' - not so much of a question but a statement about the absolute necessity to move on and improve; but to do it in such a way that is fulfilling, long lasting and ...
[caption id="attachment_1328" align="alignnone" width="289"] Strong Shaddows[/caption] The milky but nevertheless strong sun as late at five in the December evening creates shadows not there in the summer months when I usually find myself perched above the Lot on some affleurement deep in the hills. And what joy of colour, silence and warmth with an autumnal scent of ever so slowly rotting oak leaves that dance up in whisps in the breeze. And just down the valley the pre-Christmas market around the large church in Praysaac is packing away its local cheese, soiled and knobbly vegetables and taking back the lucky caged capons to ...
One of the most striking aspects of that bit of country in the hills inland from those glamorous places like Saint Tropez and St Raphael is the complete lack of animals and simplicity of activity in the countryside. Every hectare that can be scraped from the rocky soils is devoted to wine production and it makes for an interesting if not different atmosphere as the rest of the land stands with trees or rough permanent grassland full of wild flowers course herbage and butterflies hardly touched by human endeavour. Olive trees stand with the vines and form a secondary crop ...
Whilst Cornwall in the summer leaves a strong mark in our itineraries there is something just a bit more reliable and romantic about crossing the channel and turning right for a few miles at St Malo. The coast is more interesting, with a lack of bungalows and caravan parks, the food more succulent and less commercial, and this adds to the general relaxation and enjoyment of a more reliable time on holiday.The children were in bliss and occasionally sat and painted revealing colourful expressions of a time that we all agreed was just a little better than Cornwall. and the sunsets were memorable but that ...
Walking at 6000 feet above sea level in the Berber community of the High Atlas doesn't really feel like Africa especially as we pass up the verdant valleys full of apricot and cherry blossom with walnut trees dominating our path eking out the thin soils and waiting to come into leaf later than everything else. A cash crop of nuts for the mules to carry many miles down to markets, whilst the families survive on tiny patches of barley and broad beans harvested for home consumption. We picnicked by rivers and under orange trees. The homes are clustered on the ...
I managed to creep up to Cirencester to a goddaughters wedding and the backdrop in one of those pristine villages was wonderful gardening all laid out with mirror ponds and informal bordering with trimmed hedges: and that yellow stone of fine buildings and the church all of which I captured on at another sitting to mark the occasion.
The sea off the Devon and Dorset coastline is often glimpsed with a church tower peaking out of the rich field patterns and I am capturing these for my next exhibition this autumn. Simple views of clear horizons across Lyme Bay in this wonderful summer weather contrasts with the varying bright oblongs of grassland that have been mown at different times. And the peacefulness of the places of prayer and worship solidly stand like soldiers to attention amongst all this colour. Do come to my joint exhibition with much more interesting items than mine from Meriel Ensom, Sally Derrick, Robbie Innes, potters Bjork Harolddottir ...
Eight men bold into the June mist we scurried up Pen y Fan with wetness in the air, our necks and boots but being summer and Wales all soon cleared as we strode with views along to Corn Du and Fan y Big with their precipitous edges and grassy southern slopes: eventually back to the tea and guinness in the village below. At Llanthony Priory the next day we took to the ridge between our England and the Welsh cousins revealing a fantastic patchwork of grassland field patterns and little copses in the lowlands below: most accentuated in the view ...
Staying with friends close to the sea on the north Cornish Coast at this time of year is a treat as apart from the delightful company one can move about the flower strewn lanes with ease and walk almost alone appreciating the strong contrasts in colour between the azure sea the very yellow clean sand the sky and the so green uncut grasses flopping the edges of the paths and pushing up on the horizon and out of the back of our garden the cypress trees framed the view nicely. A little further up the west country coast noisy things were ...
Having been involved in a very minor way at Badminton for over twenty five years I have seen lots of colour in this spectacular of cross country riding events. The Park will look its very best as this Spring gets into gear will the many trees bursting their leaves at differing rates giving a real feeling of the movement of nature as the winter recedes so rapidly and sporting and outdoor activities are on us. This a sketch from last year fence 22 and maybe see you there on the 10th May.
Using a variety of media and styles the work responds to mood and geography but is more than often an observation of simple scenes in everyday life and on the travels across Europe.