This is inspired by a plein air study I made in January during a few snowy days.
I wanted to explore more fully the influence of colour, light and atmosphere I experienced on location, with the greater time and comfort that working indoors allows, while still keeping the spontaneity of loose brushstrokes.
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| 159. Revisiting the Snowy Path, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve Oil on board 9.76 × 7.87 in / 24.8 × 20 cm 10th February 2026 |
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in Spring, Llanover is a small painting made using a very limited palette of water-mixable oil paints. The colours I used are:
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| 154. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in Spring, Llanover Oil on board 5.31 × 7 in / 13.5 × 17.8 cm 20th January 2026 |
The Sunlit Canal Path, Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Llanover is inspired by the beautiful late-afternoon walks with the dogs along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, when we used to live nearby.
Here, I wanted to capture the sunlight in a loose and immediate way, as it gives a warm touch to the landscape, with the pale blue sky reflected in the fluid mirror of the canal.
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| 153. The Sunlit Canal Path, Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Llanover Oil on board 9.84 × 11.69 in / 25 × 29.7 cm 12th January 2026 |
Snowy Path, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve is an oil landscape painting alla prima en plein air in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve.
I was drawn there by the white, soft snow (which white really isn’t!) that created an enchanting effect everywhere.
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| 152. Snowy Path, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve Oil on board 9.92 x 7.99 in / 25.2 x 20.3 cm 5th January 2026 |
Snowy Dusty Field, Llanover is a work that comes from a real moment in a farm field in Llanover – from an initial study on oil paper to this final oil painting on board – an attempt to capture the light and atmosphere that made that dog walk such a lasting memory.
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| 151. Snowy Dusty Field, Llanover Oil on board 7.02 x 11.34 in / 17.85 x 28.8 cm 3rd January 2026 |
Countryside Path, Corona Verde Stura Nole, Italy is an oil painting resulting from some previous sketches. It features a familiar place in Italy where my dog and I used to walk every day.
I’m particularly fond of the gentle, soft quality of the land beneath the lively sky.
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| 150. Countryside Path, Corona Verde Stura Nole, Italy Oil on board 8.03 × 9.92 in / 20.4 × 25.2 cm 31st December 2025 |
These are oil sketches on paper that I made to create a new painting.
They feature a field in Corona Verde Stura Nole, Italy where I used to walk with my dog when we lived there.
I tried to simplify the scene, by focusing on blocks of colours put next to each other instead of the individual elements in the painting.
When it isn’t pouring with rain, it’s the perfect moment to head outdoors and capture the landscape where I live.
This piece is a study painted in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve. By standing on higher ground, I was able to take in a wider view — from the walking path below to the clouds drifting across the sky.
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| 148. Winter land 10 × 7 in / 25.5 × 17.8 cm Oil on wooden panel 24th November 2025 |
As the sun began to set, the sky started to display soft pink hues.
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| Photo taken on location |
I loved being out there, witnessing the magic of nature.
The Country Lane is an oil painting depicting a lane I discovered a few days ago behind Callwen Church, in the Upper Tawe Valley.
I was drawn to its rural atmosphere and the gentle, meandering course of the little road winding through this peaceful countryside.
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| 143. The Country Lane 10 x 8 in / 25.5 x 20.5 cm Oil on panel 19th October 2025 |
I like it when the colours reflect those found in real life.
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| Photo at the end of the painting session on location |
Trees and Sunlight is an oil painting that was started on location and completed in the studio.
It depicts a group of trees bordering a field in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve, captured in the afternoon when the sun was shining brightly on their foliage and the surrounding grass.
This strong backlighting created an atmospheric glow behind the trees in the foreground. As I was painting contre-jour, I found it difficult to see my panel clearly, so I worked en plein air as much as possible before finishing the piece in the studio, relying on my visual memory.
I particularly enjoyed the warm sunshine and loved capturing the light as it touched the still-green leaves and grass.
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| 142. Trees and sunlight 8 x 10 in / 20.5 x 25.5 cm Oil on panel 13th October 2025 |
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| Photo taken on location. |
Down the valley, Ystradgynlais is a landscape oil painting featuring Ystradgynlais from above.
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| 109. Down the valley, Ystradgynlais 6.7 x 8.5 in / 16.9 x 21.5 cm oil on panel 24th August 2025 |
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| Photo at the end of the day with the painting on the easel |
Towards the Brecon Beacons is an oil painting featuring a field in the farming grounds of Ystradfawr Nature Reserve. It is a field that attracted be for its being surrounded by trees and looking towards the mountains of the Brecon Beacons.
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| 105. Towards Brecon Beacons 6.1 x 13.1 in / 15.5 x 33.3 cm oil on panel 19th August 2025 |
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| Photo taken of the finished painting in situ |
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| 100. Woodland footpath 7.9 x 9.8 in / 20 x 25 cm oil on panel 12th August 2025 |
It features a hidden footpath descending to Penrhos that I discovered by chance.
I like the meandering line winding around the gentle slope where a lonely tree stood.
The scene is in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve, Ystradgynlais.
Edge of the Woods is a painting particularly dear to me, as it captures an idyllic vision of the Welsh countryside, with trees lining a gently descending slope.
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| 99. Edge of the woods 6.5 x 9.4 in / 16.4 x 24 cm oil on panel 11th August 2025 |
I painted it while it was raining, and I loved the peace and tranquillity of the place. It’s located in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve and depicts the countryside between the woodland and Penrhos.
It was completed in a single painting session.
Sky and Land is a landscape painting created on a portrait-oriented panel.
What drew me in was the striking relationship between the vast, cloudy sky and the land beneath it.
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| 98. Sky and land 9.8 x 5.1 in / 25 x 13 cm oil on panel 9th August 2025 |
This view is from my garden, looking between two rows of Welsh cottages in Ystradgynlais.
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| Photo of the painting during the painting process. |
Walking path is an oil painting created on an overcast day, when the light was flat and diffused.
I was exploring open land in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve, and this is the scene I chose to paint.
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| 96. Walking path 5.9 x 10.9 in / 15 x 27.7 cm oil on panel 6th August 2025 |
This walking path crosses a beautiful stretch of farmland, and many people enjoy strolling there. The two figures I added in the painting are actually a couple who live on the same road as I do.
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| Picture taken at the end of the painting session. |
I liked the idea of using an elongated panel for this landscape — it felt like a fitting format to reflect the path's gentle flow through the scenery.
Not far away is an alla prima plein air oil painting inspired by the Welsh landscape near where I live.
I set out intending to reach a field I often admire from my studio window. However, it turned out to be fenced farmland, and I should have asked permission to enter. Since the surrounding area was equally full of beautiful views, I decided to stop at a spot along the cycling and walking path, where I could take in a different view—one I can only just make out from my house.
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| 93. Not far away oil on panel 10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm 26th July 2025 |
I'm always on the lookout for an intriguing landscape, and this was a perfect example. The play of various distances created a natural sipario beneath a magnificent sky.
This photo was taken during the early stages of the painting session at Ystradfawr Nature Reserve:
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| Photo taken during the painting session in Ystradfawr nature reserve. |
Tuning with nature is a landscape I painted two days ago en plein air at Ystradfawr Nature Reserve, looking towards Clydach.
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| 89. Tuning with nature oil on panel 10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm 14th July 2025 |
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Ystradgynlais Nature Reserve is an oil plein air painting, mostly done on the spot yesterday and completed in the studio today.
My main aim is to respond spontaneously to the subject in front of me, while also trying to simplify everything—avoiding minor details and getting to the core of it.
I like it when I can leave the task of assembling the picture to the observer, so that they can see what they want to see when viewing it from a distance. Nothing is detailed; everything is suggested.
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| 83. Ystradfawr nature reserve 8 x 10 in / 20.32 x 25.40 cm oil on board 11th June 2025 |
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| During the plein air painting session |
From 19th May to 10th June, I have been experimenting, studying, and wiping off.
My focus has been on tonal values and simplification through oil studies and pencil sketching. A couple of plein air paintings were done and wiped off because I wasn't confident enough to really see something new in them—and now I wish I hadn't done it. This is part of the learning process.
So, here is a mix of what I've been up to:
On 19th May, I painted this and then, in the studio, I decided to wipe it off.
Between 20th and 21st May, I focused on these four tonal value studies in oil on board:
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| four tonal value studies in oil on board |
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| study 1 |
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| study 2 |
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| study 3 |
From 26th to 30th May, I worked both in the studio and in the garden with sketches and an oil study.
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| A tonal value study adopting the sight-size technique for the first time (not a great result, but I was curious to try it) |
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| Tonal value preparatory sketch |
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| During the plein air painting stage |
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| Final version of the oil study |
On 2nd June, I did two oil studies of a still life in the garden. The first was from direct observation, and the second was from observing the first study itself. Why? To try to loosen up my brushstrokes and be more spontaneous.
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| Work in progress with study 1 |
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| Study 1 |
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| Study 2 |
On 3rd June, I directed my attention to the Brecon Beacons National Park by looking through my window.
Here are two studies of the same panorama at two different moments of the day.
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| Tulips |
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| Peonies and coffee cup |
Finally, on 10th June, I went out for a plein air session and ended up with two paintings of the same subject because I wasn’t convinced by the first one.
This is the first painting, which no longer exists.
The second painting was finished the day after, and you can see it in my next post.
