Recently, I had the privilege of returning to the Lake District for some plein air painting; once again, the beauty captivated me, drawing me into every detail. This time, I visited Keswick, where I painted two images, one of which was from Surprise View, which offered a spectacular view overlooking Derwent Water towards Keswick, with Skiddaw Mountain (the third highest in England) to the right. The morning was sunny, and the lake was still. Using oil paints on a 30×40 cm canvas, the painting took three days to complete outdoors, with an additional day for touch-ups back in the studio.
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Painting in the lake district
I love plein air painting; I feel able to be fully absorbed into nature and the creative process that’s hard to replicate elsewhere. I don’t often get to finish a painting, but getting the ‘true’ colors I see onto canvas gives me a good base for finishing the painting off another day in my studio.
This time I was in wasdale head in the lakes, looking over west water, towards great gable and scafell pike. I had been hear for 3 day but it rained so much i wasn’t able to paint, today i managed to get a morning of sun to capture the sky, great gable and scafell Pike.
EDAS Best in show
Displaying three of of painting ‘maple leaf’ ‘silver birch’ and ‘river ouse over lendal bridge’ at the Easingwold and District Art Society show in October 2024, my painting ‘River ouse from lendal bridge’ was voted best in show.
York river art market YRAM 2024
My second year taking part in YRAM, beautiful sunny day which was perfect for displaying and selling my most recent drawings, paintings, prints and cards, i even got to meet the mayor!
I’ll be back with more new work in August 2025.
Re-focusing
I often see the world in a very detailed close up way, noticing the detail of something first and foremost, sometimes I don’t even think to look at the object as a whole. For years I have fought this natural response I have to my environment and tried very hard to create painting other people want or say they would like. I have struggled to try see things as others like to see them rather than how I naturally view the world. I have now decided to embrace my difference and share with everyone what I see when I look at something. Continuing to use nature as my main inspiration. Here is the first painting I the new line of work…
New art direction
While I was sat in my studio the other day I looked out my window to the street and shops down below, people were rushing around, heads down, head phones in, talking on the phone, busy walking fast from one shop to another. I then looked behind me at the painting of the lack district I had been working on and became absorbed in the difference I felt looking at the painting to looking at the busy street, I felt stillness. How often do we get to be still in this new digital world?
This moment has inspired me into a new creative project:
Glance. Snap. Capture. Send. Delete. Empty. Replace.
Summer Open Exhibtion
Tonight 7-9pm at Mermaid and Miller shop on Swinegate is the opening of the summer open art exhibition. Displaying the work of 33 York artists.
Preparing for ‘Mermaid and Miller’ June Open exhibtion
I have left the watercolors behind for know in favor of the rich colours, and forgiving drying speed, of Oil Paints.
Looking for inspiration for my next project. I went back to a part of Yorkshire that has been part of family days, what ever the wither, since I was very young. Yet despite its familiarity however, the ruins of Fountains Abby, in Ripon North Yorkshire, still contain a quite shaded beauty when ever I see it.
Up coming exhibition…
Opening times for all venues:
Friday 25 May – Saturday 2 June
Monday – Saturday: 10.00am – 5.00 pm
Sunday: 12.00 – 5.00 pm
Venues:
‘According to McGee’ Gallery – 8 Tower Street, York, YO1 9SA
Art Block at York St John University – Lord Mayor’s Walk, YO31 7EX
Welcome to my website, hope you enjoy my work.