Devon 11 – Painting in the rain  Monday October 17th, 2011

Never one to be put off by a spot of rain myself and the Devon 11 artists braved the glorious Lynmouth weather and had a cracking weekends painting. Here is a short iphone film about one of the pieces I produced, enjoy!

Woolacombe Rough Water Swim 2011  Wednesday August 3rd, 2011

On Saturday the 30th of July I competed in the Putsborough to Woolacombe rough water swim, a two mile swim across the bay. The sea was relatively calm, but there was a strong current to swim against which made for tough going. This was the first time I have entered the race, and was one of the hardest things I have done. I came a respectable 23rd overall, and finished ninth in the masters category, so I am super stoked and glad all the hard work paid off. Bring on next year!

The event was organised by Woolacombe Surf Life Saving Club

Lundy Lines Sold  Monday July 25th, 2011

I am delighted that my painting, Lundy Lines, raised over £2,000 for Children’s Hospice South West.  It was sold early July through ebay in conjunction with Nick Thorn’s sporting challenges.  Many thanks to all those who placed bids and to the final winner.

Nick Thorn’s monstrous paddle  Sunday June 12th, 2011

Over the weekend of the 16th-18th of June, my good friend Nick Thorn will be undertaking a daunting board paddle from Hartland Quay around the Eastern side of Lundy island and back to Croyde beach, North Devon.  At 36 miles it works out at roughly the same as 179 Eiffel Towers or 645 football pitches!

Nick is fundraising for the Children’s Hospice South West, I’ll be putting a painting of mine up for auction on ebay, starting 1st July.  If you would like to donate please visit www.justgiving.com any donation large or small is welcomed and will make a big difference to a great cause.  All money raised from the ebay auction will also go towards Children’s Hospice South West.  Best wishes to Nick Thorn for his big day, we’ll be cheering you on from the beach!

The Devon 11  Thursday April 7th, 2011

Over the past month a local artist and friend of mine, Steve Pleydell-Pearce, has been contacting artists in the North Devon area, with the aim of getting together to paint on location outdoors.

A group of eleven creative folk – The Devon 11, including North Devon artist Conor Wilson, gathered for an early weekend in April and I set up along Lynmouth harbour wall, proceeding to paint a plein air oil, painting the entire finished picture outdoors ‘in the open air’ as opposed to simply making preparatory sketches.  Tucked beneath the mighty sea cliffs and after a cloudy start, the warm spring sunlight lit the picturesque valley and harbour, making its mark on the sheer sea cliffs across the bay, revealing a stunning display of colours.

Many thanks to Steve for organising the trip, I look forward to the next one.

The artist’s hat and smock was for comedy value only.

Sketching in New York  Tuesday January 18th, 2011

Spending a few days in New York.  Enjoying the sights and sounds.  Filling my sketchbook with the amazing architecture, familiar landmarks and views.  Looking forward to using these fresh ideas within my paintings.

London Exhibitions  Tuesday December 7th, 2010

Had a great time in London recently.  Was given the opportunity to paint live within a busy, Canary Wharf shopping centre.  Judging by the onlookers comments, the event was a success.  Jonathan Edwards, a world record holder for the triple jump, came by and I encouraged him to have a go at painting.  I had evening exhibitions at Artisan, Canary Wharf gallery and Artica, Covent Garden and St Christopher’s Place galleries.  Many thanks to all those who attended.

I spent much of my daytime browsing exhibitions within galleries and museums, gleaning inspiration and ideas through other artists paintings.  I took time to wander around the well known sites of London, although sketching time was unfortunately kept to minimum because of the freezing, snowy temperatures.

Autumn 2010  Wednesday October 6th, 2010

Been to London to fill my sketch book with ideas and inspiration.  Consequently, London has featured heavily in my recent work.  Elements of abstraction has provided a fresh and interesting outlook within these city scenes.  I am enjoying featuring this fun use of colour in my images.

Summer 2010  Monday September 6th, 2010

I have had a great start to this year, visiting Paris, Barcelona and Lisbon which provided me with amazing inspiration for my city scenes.  I have been experimenting with different mediums and have introduced more texture within my work, which is proving successful thus far.

Summer 2010 has been an exciting and busy time for me.  I have been on many enjoyable North Devon coastal walks, painting in all kinds of weather conditions and loving it!  I am in the process of moving studios, converting a farm barn near my home.  The new studio is a large, open space with great light and sea views.

This September I shall be visiting the ICC, Birmingham, to the Washington Green show.  I am looking forward to seeing my new releases at the exhibition and joining the other artists.  I have taken on a new artist assistant, Beth Barrington, who now assists with my administration and organisation, which helps to keep the studio running smoothly.

new paintings from studio clearance now at auction for February!  Sunday February 7th, 2010

The studio move is all in progress and going well! There’s a lot to be done but it’s all exciting stuff. I’m still making a few tough decisions of just what to take with me, but I’m sticking to my guns and going for a clean start! Still, I’m sure that these will all find a good home!

You can visit the main auction page listing all the paintings here.