Porcelain English Springer Spaniel is a small still life featuring a little dog figurine of an English Springer Spaniel.
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| 111 Porcelain English Springer Spaniel 3.9 x 6.5 in / 10 x 16.5 cm oil on panel 27th August 2025 |
I loved the fact it represents a dog dear to me and a precious object, plus its colours and reflections.
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| The painting next to the figurine |
In the shade of the old Oak tree is another oil painting from Ystradfawr Nature Reserve. I really liked the big Oak tree with its lush green colour and the shade it offered.
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| 110. In the shade of the old Oak tree 8 x 10 in / 20.5 x 25.5 cm oil on panel 25th August 2025 |
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| Photo showing the finished painting in front of the tree |
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 |
Inspired by the water, I decided to paint it again in this sunny day.
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| 107. Fresh water 11.7 x 8.3 in / 29.7 x 21.1 cm oil on panel 21st August 2025 |
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| Finished painting on the easel next to the subject |
The water stream is an alla prima painting that tries to capture the water stream movement and reflections during a dull afternoon in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve.
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| 106. The water stream 20.4 x 25.4 cm oil on panel 20th August 2025 |
This is the first attempt to paint water in movement and I like it.
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| Real stream next to the painting |
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 |
The old tree features a majestic beautiful tree in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve near the gate at the end of a farming field.
I was intrigued by the play of light and reflections on the ground and on the tree trunk.
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| 104. The old tree 11.7 x 8.3 in / 29.7 x 21.1 cm oil on panel 17th August 2025 |
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| Photo taken at the end of the painting session |
Evening fluttering clothes is another oil painting inspired by the summer windy evening when my clothes were drying in the garden. I loved their free movement and I tried to capture it with paint.
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| 103. Evening fluttering clothes 8 x 10 in / 20.3 x 25.4 cm oil on panel 16th August 2025 |
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| Photo of the painting on the easel in the garden |
Sheed in green is a small study of the end part of my garden where the shed sits next to a lovely collection of flowers and pots.
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| 102 Shed in green 4.6 x 6.6 in / 11.7 x 16.7 cm oil on panel 15th August 2025 |
When the late afternoon offers you an interesting light.
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| Painting on the easel in front of the subject |
The triad is a still life featuring three objects I love: a blue vase, an onyx jar, and a small shining bottle.
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| 101 The triad 8 x 8.7 in / 20.3 x 22 cm Oil on panel 14th August 2025 |
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| The finished painting on the easel |
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. |
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.
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| 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.
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| Photo taken at an early stage of the painting. In background: The Lioness by Graeme Sims. |
When there is a striking interplay between light and shadow, I cannot help but be drawn to it.
This is exactly what I felt when I saw the sun’s rays casting shadows on the white wall and across the patio floor.
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| 95. Summer afternoon bird bath 10.5 x 11 in / 26.6 x 27.9 cm oil on panel 5th August 2025 |
This is an alla prima painting, which means it was completed in a single session — something I am currently striving for.
To capture the subject with freshness and immediacy, I aim to finish each piece in just one sitting. This approach helps me avoid becoming overly concerned with details.
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| Photo taken at the end of the painting session |
This oil painting is on a hardboard panel that I cut myself, as part of an effort to repurpose materials already available in my studio. That’s why the edges aren’t perfectly straight.
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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. |
Now that our sunflowers are in bloom, I really wanted to capture their beauty with a close-up of two of them.
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| 92. Sunflowers oil on panel 10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm 26th July 2025 |
It was a bit of a challenge painting them from a low angle, looking up, with the bright sunlight hitting both my panel and palette. To cope with this difficulty, I painted the entire time while holding an open umbrella in my left hand. It was also a windy day, so painting wasn’t exactly easy — but I loved it and enjoyed being fully in the moment.
Here is a photo taken on location during the painting session.
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| Photo taken in situ during the painting session. |
This is sunflower season – not only in open fields, but in my garden too.
Sunflowers in the Garden aims to capture this fleeting natural moment, when the beautiful yellow flowers finally rise and tower towards the sky.
It was painted over two sessions. It rained in between, but I managed to capture the sunny spell that blessed this spot for a few precious minutes.
The second session was completed entirely in the studio.
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| 90. Sunflowers in the garden oil on panel 10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm 21st July 2025 |
The following photos were taken during the early stages of the painting – the initial sketch and the blocking-in phase, where all the colours are roughly placed.
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| Initial sketch: here I drew the main lines for the composition. |
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| Blocking-in phase: here all the elements are in place. |
As I often like to do, I took a photo of the finished painting in black and white to check the tonal values and make adjustments where needed. Below is the final painting viewed in greyscale.
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| Black and white version: a monochrome view of the painting, showing the tonal structure more clearly. |
This painting, like all my others, is available to purchase on my website.
If you'd like to follow my artistic journey, you can find me on Instagram.
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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Stones and trees is a plein air painting created within the grounds of Saint Cynog’s Church in Ystradgynlais.
It’s a subject I’ve always found fascinating here in the UK, where ancient graveyards steeped in history are part of everyday life.
Centuries-old trees provide generous shade, cooling hot summer days with a display of dappled lights on the ground, leading a peaceful atmosphere to the antique gravestones and meandering paths.
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| 88. Stones and trees 10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm oil on board 12th July 2025 |
In this painting, my inspiration came from the combination of old stones and old trees—elements that, with their age and solidity, maintain their presence in our modern time. I painted it during a heatwave, so this spot, cooler and tranquil, felt especially inviting.
I mainly used small to medium brushes, and below are some details from the painting:
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| detail - gravestone |
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| detail - gravestones |
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| detail - trees and foliage |
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| Photo taken during the painting session |
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