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I called this painting ‘Loop the Loop’. It shows (in fairly unscientific detail) carnivorous Madagascan pitcher plants, of the genus Nepenthes. Memorable to me because on my first trip to Madagascar aged 22 I was really struck by their exotic jungley appearance. I had never been in the tropics before, and I was reading Robert Drury’s Journal , […]

I’m running two art workshops at Williamson Park this summer. They’re ideal for anyone who’d like a shot at drawing and painting but can’t manage regular art classes. Numbers will be restricted to allow plenty individual tuition. Booking essential – contact Janet at jmr@jmr.org.uk or 07786 868783. I’m away on holiday between 28th June and 6th July but either

I really like watching birds through my little telescope, I see so much that I’d otherwise miss. I felt like I was in some kind of nature documentary on Saturday, at Conder Green on the Lune estuary, watching a flock of lovely eider duck paddle around a fishing heron and a feeding swan, while the occasional

May is my favourite month. It’s just beautiful. It looks nice, smells nice, sounds nice! Bird song and cherry blossom, bluebells and cow parsley. These two paintings are celebrations of May, spring has finally well and truly sprung. Who could be sad walking into summer? At the beginning of the month the lanes around here

Continuing with the weeks heron theme, on Friday morning I met my friend Milan Ivanic , and we went out for an hour sketching by the Lune. We headed just downstream of Halton Mill (where my studio is), by Denny Beck bridge. The resident heron was in place on the stone weir so I sat and drew

Last week I headed down to Conder Green in the late afternoon to sketch. The tide was ebbing and the afternoon sun was shining on the mud and rocks. A fishing heron was silhouetted against the sparkling water.