Lessons from the Chelsea Flower Show
Yesterday, I expected to learn gardening lessons from the Chelsea Flower Show as I embarked on a captivating journey through its flowers and trees. Gardening is one of my passions. Some days I’m torn: turn left to the new greenhouse, or right to my deliciously…
A studio wishlist
There’s more on a studio wishlist than just paint and supports – those are the obvious things. But they aren’t the only useful items for a studio. Some of the indispensable items in my studio are a bit less obvious. Because of this, I keep…
How to Loosen Up Watercolours
The advice I am asked for most often at my Open Studios is how to loosen up watercolours. This year’s Cambridge Open Studios was no exception. ‘Do you teach?’, and ‘I wish I could paint looser watercolours’: the theme was repeated in so many questions….
How limits improve your painting
It may seem contradictory to say that limits improve your painting. But in my experience, it is a good learning tactic that has worked for me. Limits make you stretch in different ways. For obvious reasons, we call it thinking inside the box. With limits,…
Making art is good for your health
Yes, there are good reasons to say that making art is good for your health – it’s not a random claim. When I considered learning to paint, 10 years ago, I asked myself what the benefits would be. I grew up being ‘the numbers one’…