Swan-tastic!

I've sold all three of my new swan paintings. This is great news as they were a departure from my usual style and I wasn't sure how they would go down....

Best of Luck to the Blacksmith's Inn

The new owners of the Blacksmith's Inn, formerly the Blacksmith's Arms, in Westow, popped in to the gallery yesterday to buy some prints from me to decorate their newly-refurbished pub.

Mark and Jane Scholefield are re-opening the 300-year-old pub, which has been closed for two months, as a traditional inn and have restored its name as well as its former darts, dominoes and cricket teams.

The couple, who used to own Will's Bar in Malton Market Place, will continue to run a restaurant alongside the pub.

They bought a print of my red stag painting and one of my saddle back pig picture.

It is the opening night tonight and I wish them well. I hope their new customers enjoy the pictures...

Barn Owl is Back

Barn Owl on Fencepost, oil painting

The wild barn owl that I feed from my garden bird table is back at last. He disappeared over the summer after the tawny owl, with whom he guardedly shares my outdoor dining table, went for him. I expect the encroaching cold weather has brought him back. That and the fact that the tawny owl is less prevelant now that his chicks have grown up.

Mist Lifts

I've been flying my new barn owl in the living room. She's still a bit young and has a lot to learn, so at the moment this is probably the safest place for her.

I got her in the summer after my last pet barn owl, Fern, sadly died. She's called Mist.

New prints for Christmas

I've published three new limited edition prints of my paintings. They are:

'Wren on Hook'
Image size: 15 x 30cm
Click here for details

'Fox on Lookout'
Image size: 45 x 30cm
Click here for details

'Long Tailed Tit on Catkin II'
Image size: 15x30cm
Click here for details

Each print is one of just 850 editions and is available loose, framed or mounted. If you're thinking of ordering one as a gift for someone special this Christmas, take a look.

Mull it over

It's been a busy day in the gallery, inspite of foggy wet weather. (In fact it may have helped!) As well as enjoying the show, visitors have really appreciated a warming glass of my mulled wine. Lots of people have asked for it so here is the receipe for my mulled wine mix:

1 bottle of red wine
1/4 litre of orange juice
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 litre of water
1 mulled wine spice bag

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved. If you want to spark it up a bit - swap the water for 1/4 litre of brandy, which gives it a very nice kick!

Funny Fungi

We have had such a dry September the fungi is later than usual. But this current bout of wet weather has brought it all out now. I love the colours and shapes that you get.

WI Charm

Another group visit to the exhibition yesterday! This time we had 10 members of Sinnington WI. It was great to meet so many people who enjoy my work and so many wildlife enthusiasts too!

Getting Up Close

Something a lot of visitors to the exhibition have been asking me is how I get close enough to badgers to photograph them for my paintings. It isn't easy, as these pictures show.

Badgers out in force...

I enter stage left and... exit one badger, stage right

Snap a twig.. and ...exit badger number two....

Only one badger left now

Getting annoyed now. No badgers and the battery of my torch has run out. Little do I know, my luck is about to change.

Starting to look a lot more promising....

Gotcha!

Farmstay visits!

We had a party of 53 here yesterday from Farm Stay UK. They were holding their AGM at nearby Life Hill Farm B&B in Sledmere and decided to break up their day with a visit to the gallery. Farm Stay UK is a farmer owned consortium that has come together to promote accommodation in or on farms. They really seemed to enjoy the exhibition. We were certainly busy pouring the mulled wine and re-filling plates with mince pies. It feels very Christmassy at the gallery now!

Special Visitors to the Exhibition

Some bullfinches have begun to devour the honeysuckle berries outside my studio window. Isn't this one stunning?

If you missed my live interview with Helen Philpot for BBC Radio Humberside on Saturday morning, click here to hear it.

Badger Delight

Badgers have captivated me since I was 14 and from the comments from my exhibition so far it seems that people are fond of the old brock too. It has been a busy first weekend at my exhibition with about 300 people coming through the doors - which is great and the response to my new series of paintings has been very positive. To read about how I got hooked on badgers click here.

Putting down the paintbrushes

I've only just finished my last painting of a blue tit and can put my paintbrushes down at last - just in time for my Christmas exhibition which opens tomorrow - talk about working up to the deadline phew!
But my works not over yet I've got a radio interview with BBC Radio Humberside at 9.30am which is going to be live gulp! Listen out for me...

Sneak Preview of Exhibition

My Christmas Exhibition opens on Saturday and these are the new original paintings that will be hanging on the gallery walls. If you would like any more information on any of them please click here. Why not comment below to tell me which is your favourite?

Tufty the Badger Painted in Oils

Fox on the Lookout Painted in Oils


Otter Portrait in Oils

Tufty the Badger in Oils

Long-tailed Tits on Blackthorn in Oils

Robin on Post in Oils

'Work in Progress' Blue Tit on Cherry Blossom in Oils

Stripey, Hoover and Dyson in Acrylic & Pencil

Gappy and Stripy in Acrylic and Pencil

Cropton Badger in Acrylic and Pencil

Tufty Sketch in Acrylics and Pencil

Red Stag in the Mist Pencil Drawing

Boxing Hares Sketch in Pencil

Barn Owls at Duggleby in Oils

Curled Up in Acrylics and Pencil

Fox Cub in Oils

Love Birds in Acrylics

Swan in Oils

Swans a Swimming in Oils

Two Fawns in Pencil and Acrylic

Tender Moment in Pencil and Acrylics

Penguins on Salisbury Plain in Acrylic

King of Savute in Oils

Zebras of Nakuru in Oils

European Brown Bear in Oils

Gentoo & Chicks in Oils