Belton House gardens in the snow

Belton House gardens in the snow

I do apologise, I honestly didn't realise five days have gone by without me posting - been swept up in one thing and another! Here's another from my recent snow batch, there may be another video to accompany this one soon. I went to the beautiful surroundings of Belton House and struggled to find a subject at first because it was all so pretty - the mansion house and the formal gardens in the snow. Eventually I settled on this side view looking across the topiary garden. I loved the strong contrast of the light snow against the dark green of the hedges. I also like the formal structural element of the stone urns contrasting with the wilder element of the background trees and wide open spaces. I feel the slope of the garden lends this painting a slightly unexpected, unsettling effect which I find really interesting.

I started this not a moment too soon because when I finished and packed up it was five minutes past four and we were almost locked into the gardens, and it was pretty cold by then! (In fact we were locked in but the gardener found us and let us out - oops!)

Now the latest issue of The Artist magazine has arrived in the shops, and it's a very good read as always. Lots of interesting articles! Here's a picture of some of my bits!

You can read the pointers on finding your own style online here, and did you know you can subscribe to the magazine and have it delivered if you live elsewhere than the UK and can't pick it up from a shop. Well worth it for monthly inspiration.

Yesterday I was interviewed on BBC Radio Humberside by Phil White. If you'd like to hear the interview I believe you can by clicking here, I come along after about 40 minutes of the show. Then a little while later there's a funny comment by someone ringing into the show to say that anyone who chooses to go out and paint in this weather needs their head examining, or words to that effect! 

I've a big event on this week, I'm holding back to back workshops at the SAA's 'It's all about Art' event at Event City, Manchester. There's going to be lots going on there so do come along if you're in the area. The  ticket price includes watching demos and taking part in hands on workshops, trying out all the latest art materials, as much as you can squeeze into the day really! You can find the information and book tickets here.

This is completely irrelevant to all the above but isn't it fascinating about finding the skeleton of Richard III in a Leicester car park? I can't wait to find out more about what will happen next... where will he be buried? A lot of people are calling for York minster which makes absolute sense. I've lived and studied in both Leicester and York so feel a real curiosity about this! You can read more about it here! :-)