There are just a few places in the world adequately free from light pollution as to be able to enjoy the full beauty of the stars. Not one or two specs, not the brightest constellations, but to be able to see the vastness of our arm of the Milky Way, wrapping around the black blanket…
The Universal Language Of Flowers
To me, flowers have always been the underling to wildlife. Whilst I love all aspects of nature, it’s the animate, complex animal kingdom that usually holds my attention. That, and mountains. I guess I never really had much more than a passing interest for flowers. Sure, they’re pretty and they smell great, but they don’t…
Should You Pay To Enter Art Competitions?
Art competitions are a large part of getting your work seen, and a great platform for building confidence. However, are paid art competitions really worth it? Are there hidden clauses and conditions? And, at the end of the day, why do artists have to pay to get their work shown? Surely they should be paying…
The Inspiration of Mountains
Painting what you love can be the easiest and hardest thing in the world. My paintings are more often than not inspired by great landscapes in far-flung corners of the world, or foreign species far from home. So it can often be hard to get true inspiration, that is not from a photo or a…
The Story Of Santiago’s Street Dogs
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh Wherever I go, whether it’s wandering though the urban jungle, treading through a deserted car park at night or even just in my own backyard, I’m always on the lookout for nature, and often, it seems to find me. Recently in…
On Antony Bourdain and Food
“If I’m in Rome for only 48 hours, I would consider it a sin against God to not eat cacio e pepe, the most uniquely Roman of pastas, in some crummy little joint where Romans eat. I’d much rather do that than go to the Vatican. That’s Rome to me.” – Anthony Bourdain, 1956 –…
30 Painting Tips To Keep You At The Easel
Do you find yourself getting stuck on a colour? Are you scratching your head as to why that particular painting didn’t work? Well I’ve been there, and I’ve found that getting the hang of a few basic tips and tricks really helps settle the artistic nerves, and can help make you a more confident and…
Photo Blog: Wildlife of Chile and Patagonia
Happy Sunday everyone, I’m currently hard at work on some new paintings, taking what I learned in Patagonia and doing my best to transform it onto canvas. Now I’m working on a painting that combines new landscapes with my cosmic nature paintings, and I’m much looking forward to sharing. In the meantime I’d like to share…
Art Diaries: Chilean Wildlife
Today I decided to do some quick and loose sketches of Chilean wildlife from my trip. Sketching in watercolour is great fun: it loosens up the wrists and allows you to create a quick impression of what it is your painting. There were several amazing wildlife spots that we stumbled upon. Of course, if you…
Variations on a Grey
Hi there, it’s still sweltering over here in sunny Malta, so getting stuck in to painting frosty scenes and tiny icebergs feels a big ironic. I’ll talk about life in Santiago in my next post, but first I had to share with you the first of my Patagonia-inspired paintings. I’m planning a little series of…
