Have you ever heard of an Axolotl? Known as the “walking fish” this almost translucent aquatic creature is actually a salamander that retains its juvenile form with visible gills into adulthood. It’s also the first animal in my Wild ABCs collection of paintings, inspired by my four-month-old son (who’s already growing so fast I wish... Continue Reading →
10 Art Supplies For The Beginner Painter
When I started painting, I’d been given an old box of oil paints that my brother had found in his garage. I’m not sure who they belonged to, but I was encouraged to try them, having never touched an oil paint tube before. The results weren’t excellent, but with just one canvas and a few... Continue Reading →
O is for Ovenbird
As a child, I’d always illustrate the stories I wrote. I’d fold a piece of A4 paper in half and design a full book cover, with blurb, barcode and all. Now I have a child, I’ve been thinking about how my art has changed, and how it needs to change. A new baby to care... Continue Reading →
Review: The Celestron Travelscope 70
Inspiration can come from anywhere. For me it often comes from looking up at the stars. So when I was gifted my first telescope a few Christmasses ago, I couldn’t wait to start stargazing. If you’re looking to get started on some observations of your own to inspire your art or just for fun, the... Continue Reading →
Art Diaries: Nature’s Rhythms And A Pandemic
Every winter, huge flocks of starlings put on a spectacular display on the seafront of Aberystwyth, Wales, during their nightly commute to roost on the pier. They gather in vast numbers and perform their beautiful acrobatics, known as ‘murmurations’. The same spectacle plays out every single year. But all around the world, while nature’s rhythms... Continue Reading →
The Storytelling Artist
My paintings have never been explicitly personal. The stories of any specific painting tend to appear after the work has been completed, rather than before it. Sometimes it’s a simple source of inspiration: one song title or one piece of music that triggered the colour scheme, or a particular story of an animal or planet... Continue Reading →
Tides Of Change
Every day or weekend that I can be productive through painting feels like a huge victory recently. Opening up a favourite playlist on Spotify (right now it’s the soundtrack to David Attenborough’s One Planet – uplifting and magical!) and getting out my art box is the perfect retreat from recent weeks of preparing a nursery,... Continue Reading →
A Virtual Art Holiday Part Three: There And Back Again
A trip to New Zealand would not be complete without a visit to some of the landscapes and sets of The Lord Of The Rings.
A Virtual Art Holiday Part Two: The Long Road In
Painting the long road to hidden wonders. It's amazing how similar two different journeys can be.
Art Diaries: A Virtual Art Holiday
Forget travel delays and suitcases, this holiday is all about home comforts and making the most of a very strange year.