It’s been a while since my last post—five months, to be exact! So much has happened, and I must try to blog more regularly. My brief venture into screen printing and acrylic experiments was an enjoyable challenge, but they left me longing for the vibrant depth and versatile qualities that only oils can provide. Since then, I’ve been plein air painting again sporadically, returning to the landscapes that inspire so much of my work.

Earlier this year, I was on TV again and was later commissioned to paint a Dartmoor scene. This led to a series of Dartmoor-inspired paintings, and my work was featured in the biannual exhibition at Greenhill Arts in Moretonhampstead, which was a great experience.

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I also took part in my fourth annual sculpture trail. Each year, I try a new medium, which usually involves buying second-hand equipment and tools that I only use once and forget about—this year, I learned to weld! Well, to tack bits of scrap metal together at least, and the result was "Black Beard," a sculpture now hanging outside my studio at Cockington Court. It’s been exciting to explore this new medium.

I’ve been away from the studio for a bit. That’s because I’m incredibly fortunate to have been selected for an artist residency at Torre Abbey, a month-long placement that even came with a small enabling fee to help with materials. I can’t believe I’m already in my final week here! Throughout this residency, I’ve continued running my workshops, one of which was featured in a lovely write-up in PRSD by one of the attendees. The final one is this Saturday!

Working in the Hot House at Torre Abbey.

Looking forward, I’m preparing an oil painting course set to begin on November 15th, which I’m excited to share with you all. But first, I’ll be focusing on indoor painting at Torre Abbey for the rest of this week, having painted much of the gardens and a few coastal scenes during this month, which has flown by! I’ll be painting the lobby room and the dining room, all while carefully avoiding getting paint on the expensive furniture and décor.

As part of the final exhibition next spring, I’ll be creating two 6ft paintings—my largest yet—that will hang in the lift shaft gallery's void space. These pieces will reflect the ongoing restoration work at the Abbey, incorporating both naturalistic elements and relics from its history. It’s a huge undertaking, but I’m eager to see how it all comes together.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress as the exhibition date approaches. I’m looking forward to exploring new ideas and keeping the momentum going!

A Return to Oils and New Adventures: Five Months in Review.

Exploring the Depths of Abstraction