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.