PAINTING DIARY

Not far away

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.

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:

Photo taken during the painting session in Ystradfawr nature reserve.

Sunflowers

Now that our sunflowers are in bloom, I really wanted to capture their beauty with a close-up of two of them.

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.

Photo taken in situ during the painting session.

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.

Sunflowers in the garden

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.

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.

Initial sketch: here I drew the main lines for the composition.

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.

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

Tuning with nature is a landscape I painted two days ago en plein air at Ystradfawr Nature Reserve, looking towards Clydach.

Using softer and more natural tones, I aimed to capture a moment in time - conveying the energy of the wind and the vibrancy of moving grass and foliage.

I loved painting it and being there, in direct connection with the elements — especially as it rained, too.

89.
Tuning with nature
oil on panel
10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
14th July 2025

Nature is so powerful — it lifts our spirits every time we truly pay attention.

More details of brushstrokes can be seen in this Instagram post

The picture below was taken at the end of the painting session.

The painting is available and can be fund in the shop of my website.

Stones and trees

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.

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:

detail - gravestone

detail - gravestones

detail - trees and foliage

I really enjoyed painting in this location, particularly because, as a churchyard, it remains actively connected to people’s everyday lives.

Photo taken during the painting session

Hosta in turquoise

This is a painting inspired by the beautiful turquoise colour of the ceramic pot.

It was painted in the alla prima style, and I needed two umbrellas to keep the sun off the panel and palette.

87.
Hosta in turquoise
10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
oil on board
9rd July 2025

Photo taken during the painting session

A simple and minimal plant, which I find very beautiful and elegant.

Summer garden

Summer garden is an oil painting completed in two sessions. It features a part of my garden I particularly like.

86.
Summer garden
10 x 8 in / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
oil on board
3rd July 2025

The inspiration came from the summer colours of terracotta pots and the lush green of large nasturtium leaves. Combined with the contrast between the stone in foreground (the steps and the door dog) and the wood in background (the fence), it created the perfect subject for my painting.

Here you can see the first three stages of the painting process: