Lilys and Plums

I had a few problems with this painting - it's funny how some paintings seem straightforward and others are such a struggle! The lilys took all week to come out and I'd finished painting them by then! Also we moved our boat in the middle of me painting this so the light direction changed completely. Never mind - I don't think it came out too badly.

Garden Flowers and Pear

The above photos show the progress of my recent painting 'Garden Flowers and Pear' from the set up to the finished work. I took a different perspective with this one and painted it standing up and looking down which I think gives a more dynamic result. I do like to be comfortable when I'm painting though so I prefer sitting down really - I'm just so lazy!

Room with a View

We've just left the marina we've been in for three and a half years where we were sandwiched between two boats. It's so lovely to be out on the canal and to have a view!

My Top 3 Art Instruction Books - No. 1

Light - How To See It, How To Paint It. I discovered this book in the 80s and upon reading it I truly had one of those 'Aha!' moments. Up until that point I don't think I'd properly comprehended what painting was all about. Lucy Willis, a gifted and accomplished artist herself, has written a brilliantly detailed and informative book, covering every possible aspect of how to see and paint different aspects of light and shadow. The beauty of sunshine and shadow are what give paintings what I call 'soul' or in other words, they can conjure up a particular strong mood, atmosphere or feeling. This book, illustrated throughout with examples from some fabulous painters, made me see painting in a whole new way, and made me want to immediately go out and paint some light-filled canvases of my own. All this time later I don't think I've got anywhere near being able to do it as light conditions are so fugitive and difficult to pin down and I'm such a slow painter! Nevertheless I will keep trying!

Carnations and Wildflowers

Here's the set up and finished result for my recent painting 'Carnations and Wildflowers in a Tankard'. I bought these carnations from the supermarket. I do like carnations but I don't think they're really considered a 'cool' flower! So I thought I make the whole thing a bit cooler by adding some stuff from the boatyard where I live. I picked some branches from a blackberry bush and some leaves and a bit of buddleia. Then I placed the flowers and leaves in a silver plated tankard I bought from a vintage fair. I used a pretty embroidered cloth which I think I bought from the same fair. The shell is from my small collection of shells which I plan to add to! I love the different shapes of shells and this is one of my favourites so I often include it in still life set ups.

Lisianthus and Two Lemons - step by step Here's another stage by stage description of how I painted 'Lisianthus and Two Lemons'

This was my set up. I really liked the clashing patterns of the orange embroidered cloth and the plate together, although I did think the scarf at the back might prove a bit too much with the other patterns, so I was thinking I might change the colours or just leave it plain.

Step 1 I outlined the shapes of the objects with a thinned mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. At this stage I was observing very closely the proportions of the objects and their relationship to everything else.

Step 2 I started to block in the colours, trying to get them as accurate as possible. At this stage I am quite concerned to get the flowers in as they can change quickly, and also to get the values correct in relation to each other. I kept everything quite low-key as I wanted the white flowers to stand out.

Step 3 The block in is complete - now the fun can begin!

Step 4 I felt a bit worried at this stage - I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew with the complicated pattern and getting the ellipse of the plate correct! But there was no turning back...

Step 5 Phew! I was quite surprised it didn't look too bad. I had to do a couple of tweaks to the shape of the plate to get it to look convincing.

Step 6 I then proceeded to paint the orange pattern on the cloth, darkening the orange in the shadows, and I also decided to darken the background to make the flowers stand out more dramatically. I'd decided to lose the pattern on the scarf at the back and just paint it a plain blue-black.

Step 7 This is a scan of the finished painting. I've worked a bit more on the shadows in the cloth, refined the pattern on the plate, developed the shadows and highlights on the lemons and added highlights to the side of the plate and the flower pot.

What's It Like Living on a Narrowboat?

My partner Dale and I have been living on a narrowboat for about eight years. In that time we have lived on the Grand Union Canal in London, on the Thames, cruised the midland canals for a year, and eventually decided to settle on the beautiful Oxford canal. There are advantages to living on a canal boat – the calming proximity of water, ducks bringing their ducklings to be fed in spring, sitting on the front deck in the sunshine watching other boats go by – what could be more blissful? Also if you don't like where you are - it's very easy to move! Disadvantages? Well winter can be hard. Although it's toasty warm with the coal fire burning, if you have to go away for any reason in winter, returning to a freezing ice-box is not unknown. Also space can become a bit of an issue, although for some reason I love living in a small space, and cleaning isn't a long job! The one thing I miss though is having a garden. Although some boats have moorings with gardens (we had one in London) they are few and far between. I do miss having a bird feeder and watching the birds. All in all though, I think the pluses outweigh the minuses, especially if you add in the wonderful boating community, quirky eccentrics and non-conformists all, and always there for you if you're in need of help.