This picture of a Scottish Wild Cat is my latest painting for the Old Bakery Art trail in May. It's getting close now just 4 weeks today.

This picture of a Mistle Thrush is the final painting of the four Thrushes to be seen somewhere in the  British Isles at some time of the year. The song thrush is the most common and is to be seen all year with the mistle thrush also seen all year but a much rarer sighting. The redwing and the fieldfare are only seen in the winter when they can be seen in large flocks migrating south from northern europe seeking food. They are often seen in gardens where they will soon strip a tree of all its berries. These four paintings will be on show at my house, venue 8, as part of the Old Bakery Arts Trail on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the 10th.,11th. and 12th. of May.

I have been concentrating of late on the four paintings I am doing for the Old Bakery Art Trail.Three of the paintings of British Thrushes are complete and I have started a painting of a Mistle Thrush. I have broken off this work to do a bit more on this portrait of my father. I am painting from an old sepia tone photograph taken when he was in the army at the beginning of the war so I guess he was in his early thirties. At the moment the painting is in monochrome as I want to get it about right before I attempt to put on some colour.

Two Redwings my third painting of the four Thrushes to be seen in Britain albeit only in the winter when these birds have to leave their summer homes in Scandinavia to find food in Britain and southern Europe. My painting shows them in an apple tree, a favourite fruit for them, where they will finish off any remaining apples on the tree and quickly move off to another tree. My next painting, the last of the four for this group will be a Mistle Thrush.

Things are now on the move for the O.B.A. Art trail which will take place on the weekend 10th. 11th. and 12th.of May. There will be about 10 venues in and around Radstock and Midsomer Norton showing paintings from about 20 of our artists.This painting of fieldfares is the second of the four thrushes seen in Great Britain. I hope to have the series finished well before the trail starts.

This is my first post for 2013 and it is going to be a busy year with the Old Bakery Art Trail in May.I have been a member of the O.B.A. for many years and I look forward to and enjoy this bi-annual event.The painting is of a Song Thrush amongst some beech leaves. I am hoping to complete four paintings of the four thrushes that we see in Britain.