Storytelling Otters

Life doesn’t always go as planned. We say it and hear it often, but we don’t often stop and think about just what it means. For most of us around the world, 2020 has been a year where every plan seemed to go out of the window in a matter of weeks. Holidays cut shut...

Creativity In Isolation

Here in Malta, we might be somewhat isolated on a small island, but that hasn't stopped the world's events reaching our shores. Like many countries around Europe and the world, we're dealing with strict new social distancing measures, isolation and quarantine. Looking back, we've all probably lamented how little free time we had at home,...

Ten Years Of Painting Inspiration

The past ten years have been a whirlwind of adventures, experiences, music and musing. I’ve been surrounded by beauty, explored new places, written a book and had paintings sent abroad to star in some pretty special exhibitions.I’m looking back on ten key moments of the last decade that have directly or indirectly inspired painting. Thanks...

Back To Patagonia

I’m afraid this is a slightly misleading blog post title. I’m not heading back to Patagonia any time soon, though of course I would love to. It’s been almost a year and a half since I headed out into the wilderness on my honeymoon, and quite a lot has changed since then. More importantly, my...

Five Books That Inspire Painting

I don’t read as much as I should. Sometimes it’s easier to browse through your library or create a virtual wish list, than it is to choose one specific book and read it. I find sifting through all the fiction and pseudo-science quite hard work, but I’ve been reading more recently and I’m planning on...

Painting My Favourite Place On Earth

Is it possible to fall in love with a place you’ve never been? Ask any traveller, and they’ll probably say yes. I don’t know if its simply a quiet time of year, in a country where autumn never really happens, or if it’s a greater feeling of apathy and restlessness, but I find myself at...

Art Diaries: Home in Burton

In my last Art Diaries post, I walked about my week in Florence, and about finding inspiration in my own unique way. For my third and final trip this year, I travelled home to the UK for some much-needed relaxation, family catch-up, plus to tick a very important item off my bucket list. Thankfully, however...

Top 5 Spotify Playlists For Painting

Music, like art, is a universal language. We all use music to get us through those hard times, to trigger childhood memories, and what are those milestones in our lives without the songs we choose to celebrate them? Which is why I think it’s just as important to have the right music to accompany your...

Notes From The Sky

I'm not afraid of flying. It's not one of the experiences I enjoy the most, but it's far from pleasant. I love the hustle and bustle, and the anticipation of airport departures. I love people-watching and wondering where they're going, where they've come from and all the stories in between.But when I'm flying, I don't...

Art Diaries: Inspiration In The Alcázar

We all travel for different reasons. This year, the need to travel was far more acute, and somehow felt more necessary than it had done before. It wasn’t about sightseeing, or self-discovery or anything grand. As cliché as it sounds, it was just about escaping. About leaving the trickling hourglass behind and fulfilling some of...