Every morning, at the moment, just before daybreak we hear a pair of Tawny Owls calling to each other before they go to their roost. Unlike last year when they roosted just 30 yards from our window, when we saw them most mornings, they are now some 100 yards or so away and so far we haven't seen them at all.

This painting of Old Harry Rocks, my fourth and probably the last for a while, shows these cliffs from a different viewpoint, rather than looking along the cliffs it is almost looking down into the sea. As some friends have observed it gives an uneasy feeling of the height of these cliffs and also how dangerous the view from here can be.

This painting is the result of a workshop given by the well known marine artist Roy Lang. The group spent a busy 6 hours following his way of preparing his palette of around a dozen or so colours that he mixed from the nine tubes that he uses. He led us through his way of painting a seascape which we all tried to follow.It was a thoroughly enjoyable session and my painting is the result of a good 6 hours work.

Roy Lang, Marine Artist.

Another painting of Kittiwakes from my visit to the Farne Islands. These islands, one of which you can land on, are full of birds which in the nesting season are so close, just feet away. This is a place which I would like to see again.

It has been some time since my previous blog.I have been away on holiday to Pembroke and the painting on this blog is a result of a walk we did from Martin's Haven towards Marloes. It shows the island of Skomer on the horizon, we never got onto the island as the wind was too strong for the boats to sail. More's the pity as we haven't been to Skomer for some time and we really did want to see the Puffins.There was some consolation however, close to the spot in this painting we saw a Peregrine at the nest with a chick beside it.

 

This painting of a Kittiwake was painted after a visit to the Farne Islands. It was possible to stand and view the birds from as close as 10 feet. Also close by were Cormorant and Puffins as well as the Terns who spent their time dive bombing anybody and everybody who got too close to their nests which of course was everybody because the nests were everywhere even on the paths upon which we were walking. Everybody was wearing hats of some sort as a bang from a Tern could be painful.



Another painting of Old Harry's Rocks, a view from sea level. This will be in the exhibition during the Old Bakery Arts Trail from friday 10th. till Sunday 12th May, at my house, venue 8 on the map.

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.