Shaded sheep features some sheep resting beneath an oak tree in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve.
Painted en plein air in one session.
 |
| 195. Shaded sheep 8 x 10 in / 20.4 x 25.4 cm oil on board 24th July 2026 |
 |
| Photo of Shaded sheep taken at the end of the painting session |
Under the green canopy is an oil study done in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve.
 |
| 191. Under the green canopy 6.1 x 8 in / 15.6 x 20.2 cm oil on board 7th July 2026 |
View from the window is a quick sketch of a late afternoon made with the leftover paint.
It is on oil paper as my aim was simply to enjoy the process of painting a view I look at every day and that I love so much, because of the lush trees and the green grass.
As I was painting from my living room, the light indoors was not enough to see well but I did my best.
 |
| 188. View from the window 12 x 10 in / 30.5 x 25.4 cm Oil on paper 26th June 2026 |
Summer in the garden is an oil painting celebrating the abundance of flowers and plants in this year's garden.
Painting during the heatwave and alla prima.
 |
| 186. Summer in the garden 10 x 8 in / 25.3 x 20.3 cm oil on board 23rd June 2026 |
 |
| Photo taken at the end of the painting session |
On this day I carried on my exploration of colours and values with two tiny studies.
The first one is Summer clothesline, featuring my the clothesline seen from my garden. I do love painting colour shapes that closely do not mean much but seen from a certain distance they create the image I was trying to portray.
 |
| 185. Summer clothesline 7 x 5 in / 17.7 x 12.6 cm oil on canvas board 22nd June 2026 |
 |
| 186. View to the kitchen 7 x 5 in / 17.7 x 12.6 cm oil on board 22nd June 2026 |
I forgot to take my brushes with me, so I painted with fingers, twigs and leaves.
A nice and unexpected challenge I really enjoyed in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve.
 |
| 182. Sheep in Ystradfawr Oil on canvas board 7 x 5 in / 17.7 x 12.6 cm 8th June 2026 |
A second day of oil studies in the garden with further different colour palettes.
 |
| 179. Garden study 3 Oil on paper 30th May 2026 |
The first study of the day is featuring my climbing roses in the garden. Some unusual colours to mix the paint for this study.
The second study is about the same flower pots of yesterday but with a different colour palette and with the strong light snd shadow.
 |
| 180. Garden study 4 Oil on paper 30th May 2026 |
In this day I finally inaugurated my new painting setup: the 12x9-inch easel and 16-inch panel holder by DayBreak Easel, and my carbon-fibre tripod by K&F Concept.
As experimenting is fun and makes you learn new things, I decided to use different a colour palette to try different colour mixing.
The first study is on the top left and it depicts part of my garden and the sky.
 |
| 177. Garden study 1 Oil on paper 29th May 2026 |
 |
| 178. Garden study 2 Oil on paper 29th May 2026 |
A Sunny Day, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve is an oil painting featuring a walking path in Ystradfawr Nature Reserve that I have already painted last year from life in the summer.
I was really intrigued by the different colours and vegetation this season: lighter, brighter greens, little yellow flowers, and the sky peeking through the still quite bare trees.
Painted plein air.
 |
| 174. A Sunny Day, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve Oil on board 12 x 8.9 in / 30.5 x 22.5 cm 9th April 2026 |
 |
| A Sunny Day, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve painting on the easel outdoors |
Arches, Light and Shadows is an oil painting featuring the "Y Bont Aur” or “The Golden Bridge”, these monumental arches are what remains of the Ynyscedwyn Ironworks in Ystradgynlais.
I’ve always admired them when driving past, so I finally made the trip to see them a few days ago — just before the sun decided to disappear.
It was the cast shadows that really inspired me, creating a striking contrast against the fresh spring grass and echoing the rhythm of those majestic columns.
 |
| 171. Arches, Light and Shadows Oil on board 8.2 x 6.2 in / 20.8 x 15.8 cm 23rd March 2026 |
 |
| Photo of the finished painting on the easel in front of the real arches |
Grazing Sheep Under Cumulus Clouds, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve is an oil painting featuring exactly what the title says.
Started outdoors and finished in the studio. The aim was looking at the view in terms od shapes and colours to describe the scene as little as possible.
 |
| 158. Grazing Sheep Under Cumulus Clouds, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve Oil on board 7.99 x 7.99 in / 20.3 x 20.3 cm 29th January 2026 |
 |
| photo taken on location |
View of Nole's bell tower and Valli di Lanzo, Italy is an oil painting created during my stay at my family's in Italy.
It is what you can see from the kitchen window on the first floor, a beautiful view of the mountain range and the rooftops of houses and bell tower of the little town.
The sunny day offered a clear and lit effect of colours, light and shade.
 |
| 155. View of Nole's Bell Tower and Valli di Lanzo, Italy Oil on board 4.88 x 6.97 in / 12.4 x 17.7 cm 21st January 2026 |
For this painting I used water mixable oil colours in a limited palette.
 |
| Painting location at the window (sorry the mess) |
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.
 |
| 152. Snowy Path, Ystradfawr Nature Reserve Oil on board 9.92 x 7.99 in / 25.2 x 20.3 cm 5th January 2026 |
“Sunshine over the Hill, Coronation Park, Ystradgynlais” was painted on location in a new area I discovered some time ago above Coronation Park in Ystradgynlais.
Unfortunately, at this time of year it is not easy to walk up there, as much of the route is covered in marshy grass and mud. In the end, however, I found a lovely dry, sunlit patch of green grass from which I had a wonderful view.
 |
| 149. Sunshine over the Hill, Coronation Park, Ystradgynlais Oil on wooden panel 9.4 × 7 in / 24 × 18 cm 25th November 2025 |
I began the painting using brushes, but then switched to a palette knife, which I used for the remainder of the work.
I really loved the rare sunny afternoon up on the hill. The colours of nature were vivid and varied, and the temperature was very mild.
 |
Autumn on the Moors is a small plein-air painting capturing the wild character of the higher ground, where wind, sun, clouds, and marsh grass create the atmosphere of untouched beauty.
It was painted on a glorious autumnal day in the Ystradgynlais area, in an alla prima style.
I was drawn to the spot because I wanted to enjoy the good weather after many days of rain.
.jpg "Autumn on the Moors") |
| 145. Autumn on the Moors 6.1 × 7.7 in / 15.5 × 19.5 cm Oil on wooden panel 8th November 2025 |
Here you can get a glimpse of the environment I was working in.
.jpg "Photo taken at the end of the painting session")
It is a landscape painting with a focus on the clouds above the land.
The two people in the photo really were there — quite an unusual sight up there.
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.
 |
| 142. Trees and sunlight 8 x 10 in / 20.5 x 25.5 cm Oil on panel 13th October 2025 |
 |
| Photo taken on location. |
Down the valley, Ystradgynlais is a landscape oil painting featuring Ystradgynlais from above.
.jpg) |
| 109. Down the valley, Ystradgynlais 6.7 x 8.5 in / 16.9 x 21.5 cm oil on panel 24th August 2025 |
.jpg) |
| 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.
.jpg) |
| 107. Fresh water 11.7 x 8.3 in / 29.7 x 21.1 cm oil on panel 21st August 2025 |
.jpg) |
| 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.
.jpg) |
| 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.
.jpg) |
| Real stream next to the painting |
.jpg) |
| 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.
