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I’ve been visiting Tresco for around 15 years, thanks to the wonderful residency which is offered to the artists at Gallery Tresco. Due to the pandemic I’ve skipped the last 2 years however this year myself and my son were thrilled to finally return to the island.

We took the helicopter from Penzance, a mere 15 minute journey. I can’t say I relish being in the air but I preferred it to taking the little plane at Lands End.

There’s something so relaxing and calming about Tresco, it feels like a simpler way of life but maybe that’s because we live in a town.

Since returning to Penzance I’ve completed a range of originals based on out stay. They’re now being framed and will be available to purchase from Gallery Tresco mid May.

Two weeks ago I moved in a new studio! I’ve been working in a small room in my house for years, I enjoy it but the space is restricting. Finally I can spread out and work on several paintings at a time. It’s feels like quite a luxury having the 2 spaces to swing between.

It’s a mere 5 minutes walk from the house which means I can easily nip home to check on the dog and have a quick coffee. I’m based above Daisy Laing, a vintage furniture shop and gallery on Chapel Street in Penzance.

My plan is to fill the space with new work and have an open day! In the meantime do get in touch if you’d like to see my paintings in the flesh. I’m open all year round by appointment for studio/home visits.

A couple of weeks ago the printmaking class I attend reopened. I’m so happy to be back on a Tuesday morning for a couple of hours. I’ve decided to make monoprints based on my paintings. It’s a simple but very satisfying process. I have made monoprints at home using my table top press but the press can be unpredictable and I’m not always in the mood to wrangle and wrestle with it, whereas the big press at Penzance School of Art is a sheer joy to operate and has a docile nature.

I’ll be adding these designs to my online shop this week.

A new theme for me – Fish! And it makes sense as I live only a mile away from Newlyn, a famous fishing port here in Cornwall. I looked at work by Braque and William Scott as a starting point and then made a trip to Newlyn where I bought 2 mackerel to sketch and use in my own work. Here are some of the results:

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Phew, what a year we are all going through. Sometimes it’s really hard to find the positives but the sight of spring flowers bursting through the gloom is a good reminder that things will change. The sunshine yellow daffodils and narcissi are a lovely shot of colour, I’ve placed them throughout my house to lift our spirits and of course to paint. They’re another favourite subject. Yellow is such a gorgeous and joyous colour.

I was very drawn to the pink label on this local roadside flower stall.

The one above is available at White Space Art.

Stripes are another recurring theme within my work. I love the direct simplicity of a stripe and how something so uncomplicated can bring added interest to a painting plus it’s also a chance to play around with colour, scale and balance.

I generally combine just two colours. Here are a handful:

Some of these are available from my online shop, so take a look!

Like many artists I have various subjects that I return to in my work and one of them is pears. I love the shape, simplicity and familiarity of them and the fact they are autumnal, English, shapely and homely. Other people like them too as I’ve sold quite a few originals featuring this humble fruit. I’m moving onto figs next, an equally appealing fruit.

I tend to create collections of work using one theme at the time. Recently it’s been ‘grapes’. It began with a small painting inspired by one of Kate Nicholson’s which has now evolved into my style. I had a lot of fun making some monoprints and I purposely mixed colours that I wouldn’t usually veer towards. It really easy to stick to the same colour palette as an artist and I feel it’s good to have a challenge now and again.

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Above is the one inspired by Kate Nicholson.

I’ve listed these ones and several more on my online shop so take a look…

I’ve been going to a pottery class with my son for the past few months . It was supposed to be an activity for us to enjoy doing together but he leaves after an hour and I continue for the next hour fumbling with the clay and making clumsy pots, bowls and recently birds. I’m not a natural potter. In fact I’m becoming more inept as I go along. However, this doesn’t matter as my creations are purely subject matter for my still life paintings.

This week I made cats heads. Partly inspired by one seen on Pinterest by Karin Hagen and also inspired by cat and owl heads bought years ago from a craft fair made by Sheila Spear.

My latest work is inspired by things myself and my son have made in a local pottery class. I’m concentrating on making coil pots, cups and bowls and my son has taken to the wheel which I find tricky and uncontrollable.

I’m very much trying to keep a handmade look and feel to my creations. They’re definitely not functional. I’m waiting for a little jug be fired which will then be included in the next painting.

Here are the paintings so far and I’ll be following up with a post showing the actual creations next….