At the end of August, I had a conversation with a retired illustrator and mentioned that I had been invited to illustrate a children’s book myself. He told me that “the first page will take you ages – and the following ones will come much more easily.” How very right he was!

I have found that my most successful paintings are those where my focus was most clear. Let me explain why this is important.

But before I explain, I would just like to mention that’s it’s 4 am in the morning and there’s a blackbird singing as the sun comes up on this June morning. Although I was having trouble sleeping it feels like the perfect time to be writing this!

A time to be in receiver mode, listening, intuiting and settling into stillness. As Asian-American theologian Cindy Lee writes of transmitters and receivers: Western culture is mainly “transmitter oriented”, prizing the authority of the written and spoken word, and of getting a point over. But many non-Western cultures prefer “receiver orientation” instead, especially in bringing up children to read body language, cultural expectations, emotional expressions and what’s not being said. “In the Asian American community,” she says, “this ability is known as the “Asian sixth sense”.

This painting came from a very small black and white photograph from a travel album that had belonged to my mother. I had no idea who the figures were in the photo but I loved the feeling in it – one of relaxation and peace. To lie back in the water and find that place where it supports you and entices you look up into the sky or to close your eyes. How many times had I floated in the sea in this way enjoying the rocking of the waves and the feeling of weightlessness. The word “weightlessness” is significant to the story of the painting.

Inspired by a small, much loved old photograph that may have been carried around in a small pocket! It’s just 7cms across and feels like it was treasured and precious because it is very creased and even has a tiny careful mend in brown tape on the top corner. I love the writing on the back which tells me that this is my Mum and that she was probably sitting in her uncles’ studio or workshop. He was a photographer, violin maker and bicycle builder called Alfred John Loughton – I have found his work very inspiring and have painted him several times before.

Finding a way to convey emotion in my paintings, a sense of something beyond me is a challenge I delight in. I often find when out in nature something I am going to call “the whisper of love”. This morning, for instance, a robin decided to sing a few perfectly beautiful notes from a branch near me as I was walking with my dog. I stopped to listen because it was so beautiful. I looked him in the eye and then walked on. A couple of minutes later the same thing happened again. Was it the same robin? I have no idea.

I had recently started walking again after a serious accident and Liberated was inspired by the joy of being out of the wheelchair, off the beaten path amongst a field of thistledown.

Capturing a feeling of excitement, the spirit of “We’re off, this could be fun!” The path ahead having a sense of the mysterious, the unknown, with the figure showing a strength in her attitude. She doesn’t know where she is going but she’s not bothered by it as she has what she needs for the hike. The sense of normalcy in the face of mystery – around the corner into the big unknown and it’s not slowing her down!

This post comes as I am excitedly getting ready for an exhibition in Stockbridge with The Hampshire Artists Co-operative; a very talented group of artists from the area where I live.

I have lots of paintings that I am very much looking forward to sharing and also hoping to meet you in person at the event. In writing it here this feels like it might actually happen – but this is 2020, the year of COVID.

Gathering ideas for a sketchbook this summer

The sweep of a beautiful landscape with a panoramic view – you want to capture it all!

What is it that inspires you? Is it the colours? Is it the criss-cross of fields and walls? Is it the wind in the barley field, the flow of the land and the taste of the sea?

There are days when we might feel like making a drawing or painting but simply don’t know where to begin. This lack of inspiration feels like a barrier and one that can stop us from even starting ANYTHING!

Hi and welcome to my summer newsletter. I am delighted that you have shown an interest in following my journey as an artist and would very much enjoy having comments back from you.

In the fall, I signed up for a pre-recorded online art course and was looking forward to diving in as I had cancelled ALL other commitments.

Here’s my most used piece of art equipment at the moment – a small squeegee. It really isn’t meant to be an art tool but a kitchen cake mix scraper/icing spreader – its just perfect for spreading thick acrylic paint with a super smooth finish. I’ve also used it to spread on a final coat of gloss medium with no brush marks!

Time to celebrate! I won!

The Overall Winner – Judges Choice with “The Violin Maker” at The Gosport Gallery and Museum Open Exhibition.

I’m feeling rather elated and surprised by being awarded the overall winner by the judges for this painting titled “The Violin Maker”.

Varnishing a finished painting provides a protective layer but the process of adding the finishing touches feels way more than just that! I will chat through some of the ways I like to work and share some insights into how to go about it. First, here’s some information to guide you.