I spend a lot of time thinking about my art, what I am going to paint and how. I also imagine myself painting and day dream about it. I think about all the paintings I want to paint but sometimes life gets in the way. I find myself spending far too much time thinking about my life and things that are wrong. I am too busy trying to calm my feelings down and rationalise my life and it’s problems. I spend time dreaming up situations that make me feel better. But then another day has gone by without even physically picking up a brush.

Having trouble downloading my photographs

Think it might be something to do with my phone being full ! Anyway one photo at a time then.

Using watercolour paper outside. I had the great idea of using large pieces of cardboard under the paper and large enough so I could work comfortably.

I still don’t think I have found my approach to painting. I still have to destroy a painting a couple of times and bring it back again before I am happy with it. I thought I could approach my painting in a similar way to baking with a set recipe but as I am trying this I am still confronted with not knowing what I am actually going to achieve.

Work in progress

Every painting is unique! I have practiced with this painting for a long time changing my mind on how to apply the paint. Firstly I used gouache on canvas and I wasn’t really happy with the appearance once it had dried. I talked about this in a previous post. It kind of dried dull and for this particular painting I wanted it to glow. It has changed dramatically and I wanted the paint to Glow like the countryside around me on a particular evening. The evening for me is such a special time when you see the sun go down at the end of the day and the shadows are long. Thinking about time passing. The shadows are the last to go.

Really pleased that one of my paintings was sold as a card Sale on Yorkshire.art

It’s a painting I did a before my Creative Practice MA started and it makes me now think perhaps I could do more of this kind of art and see where it goes.

Watercolour work from the Gardens in Queensberry House

Practicing with watercolour in a watercolour sketchbook from Coast. Gorgeous paper to work on. Might add ink or pen when it’s dry !

Loved painting these portraits that I’ve admired for years. There is something very therapeutic about the process and I’m loving the colours and lines and how they are making my sketchbook look so beautiful

Portrait and self-portrait . Thinking about the two sides of the face being different and how it gives me a great starting point and approach to painting portraits

Thinking about the line of the pen and the dots it makes when I stop for just a second to think. Really liked that aspect of working with these Windsor and Newton water colour markers.