Kingfisher

I watched a wonderful series on television which featured kingfishers and since then I have been mesmerised by these little birds. Their flashes of brilliant colour brighten riverbanks and add a irridescent magic to the leafy green world of water and trees.

Hoopoe

It's such a pleasure and honour to be asked to do a commission for someone - an old friend asked if I could paint a hoopoe for her to give to her husband for Christmas. An easy choice to say yes on two counts; she is an old friend and I love hoopoes. I grew up in Kenya and these birds were everywhere and more recently when we lived in Pakistan, I rediscovered them. There striking colouring stands out and their elegant headress of feathers is worthy of an Ascot hat!

Rosehips

I recently saw an exquisite botanical painting of a single rosehip - it was perfect! You could have picked it up off the paper, it was so realistic. On my weekly foray to the florist, I found that they had sprays of rosehips. So this week's floral paintings are inspired by one perfect rosehip.

Landscape sketch

I've been very lax this week, very little painting has been going on in my mini-studio. But I do have an excellent excuse. My son is getting married and I have been working hard at the sewing machine making bridemaids' outfits and my own dress.

I did manage to do this little sketch which I am hoping is going to become a large painting. I've been longing to get back to landscapes and this really appealed to me. The colours of the heather and the late summer fields and the contours of the hill.