It has been my great privilege to undertake a ‘residency’ project for the Forgotten Coast En Plein Air 2020. The theme for this year is ‘people’ and my brief was to make a series of works that would reflect part of the Forgotten Coast’s culture and community. I was invited to base my project on the music scene, with a particular focus on women because my paintings form part of a larger exhibition to celebrate Women’s History and the centenary of women's suffrage.

We're home at last from another amazing trip to Florida, though this one was more poignant than previous trips. The Forgotten Coast has certainly changed since last year, the scale of the destruction caused by Hurricane Michael last October is mind blowing, yet the people remain just as warm and the Gulf Coast retains its charming character despite the damage. More than ever, I feel honoured to have been invited to join both the Forgotten Coast Paint Out and the faculty for Plein Air South convention this year.

Well, it seems a long time since I updated my blog (again). But I promise it isn't because I've been idle - far from it - I've had a fantastic and slightly frantic few months!

So, I thought I would add some of the paintings I have been making whilst I've been away in Scotland, Ireland, France and Norfolk.

A very happy and successful trip to Dublin for a workshop and painting competition. I spent a delightful 5 days painting on location with a wonderful group of people from North Dublin and surrounding areas. 

Over the weekend I took part in 'Painting the Parish', a plein air painting exhibition and competition to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of St Kevin's Church in Dublin City.  I've been focusing on the use of 'warm whites' in recent weeks. With this in mind, I decided not to use titanium white on my palette for the competition on Saturday, instead I chose warm white, warm light yellow and lead tin yellow lemon as my lightest values. I wanted to capture the warmth of the candle light inside the church. It seemed to work well - my finished painting won first prize in the competition!

What a fabulous time of year to be painting in Cumbria, the colours this autumn have been particularly striking and I spent a lovely few days teaching on location from Higham Hall last week.

As part of the course I gave a painting demonstration on the shore of Derwent Water, with ever changing light and occasional squally wind it was a scene fraught with classic plein air challenges!

A brilliant trip to Wexford for 'Art in the Open'. I met some amazing painters and shared lots of laughs with lovely people. And that's the best bit about the whole thing, the people. Yes, Wexford is beautiful and the painting locations are always full of inspiring material, but the thing that really makes Plein Air festivals wonderful is all the plein air painters. They're just such a great bunch. Always game for a laugh, no drama, just down-to-earth, genuine, out going, friendly people. And where else on earth can you discuss the finer points of easel design for a whole hour, without anyone getting bored?!

I sometimes talk about how a painting can only be ‘steered’ so far by the painter, then we have to stop, step back and ask the painting what it needs from the painter. This two way ‘conversation’ with the artwork made me scrape off a big chunk of a ‘finished’ painting this week – and I’m so glad that it did! Here’s what happened…

Portugal's south coast and a box of paints.    I found so much to paint, I'm already planning a return trip - and perhaps a workshop...

I went to stay with a painter friend in Tuscany last month. After a few rainy days in the mountains we found some sunshine by the sea in the beautiful Sestri Levante. A traditional Italian town with earth coloured houses built right up to the edge of the stunning 'Bay of Silence'.

Back in August I spent a couple of days painting at Heybridge Basin on the east coast. The tail end of a hurricane was forecast to arrive the following day so I decided to get out and make some studies of the gathering clouds. These two studies were made whilst hanging onto my easel in increasingly strong winds

Apples from Miri’s garden – the product of a lovely afternoon spent studying form and experimenting with dark colours

A couple of sunset paintings made after happy days spent on the beach at Sennen this summer. 

My paintings from Norfolk's plein air painting festival 'A Brush with the Broads' last month.

... this view of the distinctive Westerkerk seen from a classic city street in the beautiful (and slightly quieter) Jordaan region. The weather conditions were very helpful as there was a bright but incredibly flat grey sky all day. This allowed me to work on the painting for a lot longer than usual...

My fascination with night-time paintings began with Whistler, the American artist who, in the 1870's, made the most beautiful paintings of the Thames at dusk.

... the whole time I was doing this, I was aware of two old men chatting by the sea wall. My eyes kept flicking back to their little silhouetted figures against the greys behind and I began to look for a way to include them in my tree painting.