Hydrangea and goblin

Hydrangea and Goblin is a still life I chose to paint because of the flower itself.

This hydrangea ended up in a vase only because it had been damaged by bad weather in the garden. It’s actually the first flower of this kind we've had — and I’ve always wanted to paint hydrangeas, so this felt like the perfect opportunity.

97.
Hydrangea and goblin
16.6 x 24.5 cm / 6.5 x 9.6 in
oil on panel
7th August 2025

I carefully arranged the composition by placing the two subjects on my living room windowsill.

I particularly liked how the light reflected on the various surfaces, as well as the outdoor background.

Photo taken at an early stage of the painting.
In background: The Lioness by Graeme Sims.

Home

Home is an interior oil painting I created from direct observation while standing in my living room and looking towards the kitchen.

I was drawn to the contrast between light and dark created by the wall and door dividing the two spaces, with the French windows at the back revealing the garden outside—the source of the light and colour.

94.
Home
oil on panel
10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
1st August 2025

It took two painting sessions to complete this piece, but it was worth it.

Photo taken at an early painting stage.

I enjoy combining nature with interior scenes, as it brings a sense of liveliness, naturalness, and happiness to the work.

The blue lamp corner

The Blue Lamp Corner is an oil painting created using a limited palette. It depicts a corner of my living room where we keep documents, diaries, and various bits and bobs.

The main attraction, for me, was the old blue lamp, which I particularly love for its shape and colour.

91.
The blue lamp corner
oil on panel
10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
24th July 2025

Below, you can see a monochrome photo of the painting. I like to take these at various stages of the process—this one was taken at the final stage and shows the tonal values in the image.

I have a particular fascination with monochrome paintings and photographs; I believe they add a personal character to the subject and a greater sense of directness.

Here, you can also see the painting photographed both at an early stage of the process and once it was completed.

Early painting stage

Finished painting

This painting was completed in a working session.

The artist's studio

 When the weather isn’t suitable for painting outdoors, I turn my attention indoors. Here is my interior painting of the artist Graeme Sims at work in his studio, painted on 13th June 2025.

84.
The artist's studio
8 x 10 in / 20.32 x 25.40 cm
oil on board
13th June 2025

I’m really pleased with this painting, as my aim was to construct the image using brushstrokes placed with precision in both position and shape. Simplification and minimalism were my main objectives.

Below are some close-ups of the brushwork:

This painting posed an exciting challenge for me: a figure in a colourful interior illuminated by three sources of light—the window on the right-hand side, the ceiling light, and the green lamp on the desk.

If you are interested to purchase this artwork, it's available in my  online shop.

Black and white picture challenge 3 of 10

 On the third day of the black and white picture challenge, I decided to draw this.

Despite this being another pen sketch (I really do love pen sketching!), I wanted to feature Lola, the other studio dog. I drew her this evening, sitting on the living room floor after a busy day. She was curled up in her bed, wrapped in a blanket, with her muzzle tucked under her tail. The scene was lit by the kitchen light from the right-hand side. Of course, Lola didn’t stay in that exact position long enough for me to finish the drawing, but it was enough to capture the essential lines.

Black and white picture challenge 2 of 10

 On the second day of the challenge, here it is my drawing of the day.

This is another pen sketch, featuring my beloved dog Susie, curled up for a nap on her favourite chair in the studio. She must love the warmth from the radiator—who can blame her?! It’s a simple drawing done from life.

Black and white picture challenge 1 of 10

At the beginning of this year Claire Tozer, a lovely painter who shares the same love for nature and the countryside as I do, challenged me to post one black and white picture each day for 10 days.

This is my first drawing.

It's a pen sketch, drawn from life, of a corner of my living room and part of the hall, as comfortably seen from the sofa. I loved capturing the play of light and shadow, as well as trying to replicate the beautiful painting by Ursula McCannell, both above the shelf and reflected in the mirror on the left.