I love summer, and its flowers. Here are some boxes I painted last week…

This weekend, 20 and 21 July, from 10am to 4pm, the first WHITBY ARTS TRAIL!   Venues in Whitby, Newholm and Loftus, come and meet the artists…

Thank you to all those who came to see my work during the open studios season. It was lovely to meet you.

Only 2 more days and the doors of artists studios will open again for the final weekend  throughout North Yorkshire. Last weekend was great, visitors came and showed interest in my work, some were old friends, some were new faces. The sun shone, flowers bloomed…If you want a reason to drive through the wonderful landscapes of North Yorkshire, look up www.nyos.org.uk , to find a list of all the artists selected for this event. If you come from the North, there’s a nice route along the coast, starting in Loftus, then to Staithes, East Barnby, and Whitby, going back through the moors via Egton Bridge, Glaisdale and Commondale. Or you could carry on down the coast via Robin Hood’s Bay and Staintondale, to visit artists in Scarborough… Wherever you are in North Yorkshire, you’ll find an artist near you. And maybe you’ll come and see me!

www.nyos.org.uk

The NYOS13 start tomorrow, over 120 selected artists open their doors to the public. Find out more by looking at the site: http://www.nyos.org.uk

We’ve been tidying our studios, sharpening our pencils, done risk assessment, and everything, and it starts in 12 hours. I hope you’ll visit some of the artists if you’re in North Yorkshire, this weekend and next weekend.

Finished. And they liked it. which is nice. great, really.

Now I’m preparing to open my space for the North Yorkshire Open Studios 2013. Next 2  weekends! 8/9 and 15/16 June. 10.30am to 5.30pm. 123 selected artists to visit throughout North Yorkshire, including me :  http://www.nyos.org.uk/Artist.aspx?id=115   So if you are in North Yorkshire, there will be artists opening their studio near you. Go and have a look!

Bluebells and grapes.
watercolour. 35x50cm. £150.

Spring came and was glorious, but grey clouds have cut it short.

I’ve been working on commissions, a painting of Whitby Piers for A.L., and a larger panoramic painting of Cleveland hills for R.H.  Both have been challenging in their way. And neither are yet completed.

I see commission work as a weaving of 3 strands: the subject, my reaction to the subject as an artist, and the wishes of the client. This must be fitted within the framework of time, as most people have a limited budget. Sometimes I wish I could paint faster, but I think that my slow contemplative approach gives a certain serenity to my work.