Tag: art blog

Siren Call – Painting a Water Witch Sirens are creatures of Greek mythology – traditionally they appear in the shape of beautiful women who lure sailors to their deaths with their singing. They’re often depicted with wings or musical instruments, and in more modern day settings, as mermaids. Mythological Creatures As mythology goes, the sirens seem to get overlooked in this modern day and age. Mermaids have remained popular, probably due in part to Disney, and this new obsession with unicorns is beginning to drive me up the wall somewhat. Especially given that I’m bisexual and people seem to think … Continue readingSiren Call – Water Witch Painting

A Summer Solstice Painting Being fascinated with witches, mythology and all things magical means that when the solstices roll around, it feels only right to commemorate it in some way. Naturally, for me, that commemoration comes in the form of art, and this painting was inspired by the summer solstice. I’m Melting, I’m Melting We had some hot days over the summer, even up in Yorkshire. 2020 isn’t known for its sunshine and lollipops, but there were some glorious days of sunshine. Unfortunately, I am of the redheaded variety and my skin is like white, tissue paper, so sunbathing isn’t … Continue readingSummertime Ennui – Summer Solstice Painting

Painting the Magic of Loch Lomond The beauty and mystical feel to Loch Lomond makes for the perfect setting for a summoning spell. Couple that with the rich history of Scotland and the tragic stories of its “witches” and you’ve got a whole backstory formed before you can even lay paint on paper. My First Witch Painting Dabbling in Magical Realism is fairly new to me. When I was in my early 20s, I went through a phase of drawing fairies with watercolour and ink pencils (Derwent, of course) which led to a spate of straight forward commissions, but with … Continue readingSummoning Spell – Loch Lomond Painting

Creating an Original Painting of Tropical Flowers It’s good to do something different once in a while, especially when that something can lead you onto a path you didn’t quite see coming… Tropical Flowers Inception At the beginning of 2020, I was commissioned to paint a huge box canvas of fresh, pastel flowers. Peonies, roses, hydrangeas and baby’s breath with bees and butterflies all came together as Bouquet. It wasn’t unusual for me – at the time I had been working on commission for 20 years, and commissions bring with them all kinds of subjects, styles and media you wouldn’t … Continue readingTropical Flowers Painting – Original Art

Original Painting From the End of the Woodhead Tunnel Although creating art from photographs, sketches or your imagination is all fine and dandy, there’s nothing quite like painting from life. I find sitting in front of a subject, or in the landscape that I’m painting gives the work so much more urgency and, given the choice, would choose life over a still image any day. The Weather in the Dark Peak Can Be Pretty Chilly I had the privilege of painting Woodhead Tunnel from life. Living in England, and particularly oop north, makes for very unpredictable weather, particularly when what … Continue readingWoodhead Tunnel, Longdendale – The Peak District