I have organised two watercolour Christmas card workshops this year to be held in Sudbury, Suffolk.

The first will be on Wednesday 25th October, 10am-3/4pm and the second on Saturday the 18th November, 10am-3/4pm.

The cost of the workshops are the same as last year, £65. This includes step-by-step tuition and refreshments. If you do not have any watercolour equipment you can borrow mine for an additional £10.

Spaces are limited as there will be a maximum of 6 people attending to ensure everyone gets as much individual attention as they need.

The images above are from 2022's workshops. This year I have created 6 different paintings to teach or practise watercolour skills.

If you and/or a friend would like to join us please contact me.

New in 2022 this original watercolour of a Farrier was painted by me as part of a private lesson demonstration. 

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

This original watercolour of Father Christmas was painted by me as part of one of my weekly classes in December 2020. The technique for the month was Edges so we were looking at hard edges created by painting wet-on-dry, soft edges created by painting wet-into-wet and lost and found edges where the edge of an object becomes indistinct from its surroundings. 

A watercolour Christmas card workshop will be held in Sudbury on the 7th December from 10am to 3/4pm. I am keeping the cost the same as last year, £65 (if you have your own equipment). If you need to borrow equipment from me for the day the cost is £75.

This year I have seen unprecedented numbers of people wanting beginner courses so this workshop will be suitable for beginners as well as those of you with some experience.

All my classes and courses are small and friendly; making you feel at ease. I will be demonstrating how to paint each card step-by-step covering topics like colour mixing, creating form, painting washes, and special watercolour effects culminating in some unique paintings. 

If you have any questions, or you would like to book a place for yourself or a friend/relative, please email me at [email protected]

The image above demonstrates some of the possibilities - which and how many cards we have time to paint at the workshop will depend on how much tuition is needed, so will vary.  

I am taking part in a huge charity exhibition at The Driftwood Gallery in Frinton-on-Sea. My work will be on display from Thursday the 7th July until Thursday 29th July and then online for 2 weeks after, ending on the 12th August.

30% of sales will be donated to Cancer Research UK. If you are interested in buying a painting please contact the organiser Irena at ipaint4hope.

Late news: Since posting this "Window Reflection", "Beach Huts", "Teasel and Web" have been SOLD. Prints are available.

Another en plein air workshop at Hedingham Castle. With Covid-19 and the restrictions it has imposed on us I have felt very lucky to know the man that can arrange these workshops for me at this fantastic venue. 

We were lucky with the weather again, bright and sunny conditions for most of the day. It did rain (well, pour) but fortunately for us it was lunch-time and we all sat, sheltered under the bridge, to eat. 

That will be the final workshop of 2020 as the weather is too cold to be outside for any length of time now. I am looking forward to Spring when hopefully we can resume workshops once more.

Exhibition ends tomorrow (30th October 2020)

This was my first trip out after shielding for 6 months - a watercolour workshop outside in the grounds of Hedingham Castle. 

It was THE most beautiful day and we had the luxury of having whole place to ourselves. This is what the same workshop looked like last year...

Wet! And cold - we all ended up at The Bell Inn drinking hot coffees to warm up.

You can't plan the English weather when it comes to planning an en plein air painting workshop but fortunately for me everyone makes the best of it and they never complain.

I have started an online "art group" on my website with the idea that you can learn to paint using my techniques in your own time and from the comfort of your home. This is available by paying a one off fee of £120 giving you access for 12 months. 

WHAT WILL YOU GET?
Step-by-step tutorials (and a few video demonstrations) that link to over 30 detailed articles on every aspect of painting together with inspiration, ideas, and challenges to keep you practising and inspired.

BUT I AM A COMPLETE BEGINNER!
There are 20 lessons that will take you through every aspect of painting in watercolour preparing you for the step-by-step tutorials that I have posted. These cover my 6 week foundation course (Part I), the 6 week follow-on course (Part II), and the 6 week advanced course (Part III).

The step-by-step tutorials are linked to the relevant pages of my book to make it easy to follow the techniques.

There are lots of other ideas and inspiration to keep you practicing techniques, and challenges to, well challenge you.

It will also be possible to book a one-to-one virtual session via any means available to us so if you have something you would like to paint but don't know where to start, or you need help with a painting, this help is tailor made for you.

I ALREADY PAINT IN WATERCOLOUR.
As I said in addition to the beginners 6-week course there is also the 6 week follow-on course, and the 6 week advanced course so there is something for all levels and abilities. Also included in the subscription is a copy of my book. The advantage of having the book available here is that it has been linked to the tutorials and demonstrations that I post.

If this idea sounds interesting and you have any questions, please contact me.
Otherwise click the Buy Now link below. Payment is taken via Paypal (you do not need a Paypal account to use this service). 
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Once payment has been made, and I have received notification from Paypal, a confirmation email with your password will be sent to you. Although this is usually instant, it can take a few hours to arrive.

As well as 6-week courses, workshops and private tuition, I run weekly classes.
 
Until now I've set a monthly theme for these, which has been working very well. It has challenged people and encouraged them to try subjects they would not normally attempt.

The result has been that people who have been attending regularly have got really good, and I mean REALLY GOOD! 

So in 2020 I am planning a change. Instead of changing the subject matter each month people will be able to paint whatever they like - but, I am in the process of planning new, advanced challenges to encourage people to try different techniques and ideas, with the intention of taking them even further!

In all the years I've been visiting the Suffolk coast I've never been to Covehithe before. Not all that surprising I suppose when it's neither on the way to, or from anywhere.

We only went with the expectation of finding a quiet beach but it became evident that there was so much more to keep us there. 

Before walking down to the beach I had to go into the church. St.Andrew's is housed in a huge ruin believed to have been built in the 15c. 

The smaller church was built within the walls of the ruin in 1672 and utilised the materials of the larger church. The bell tower houses 5 bells, thought to be among the oldest in the country.

Above are a few more of the paintings I did on location in Southwold, Albeburgh, Dunwich and Walberswick during a stay there in 2016.

Following the very successful "Beginners to watercolour workshop" I ran earlier this year, I am running a new workshop entitled "Moving on in watercolour" at The Old Bank Studio in Harwich on Sunday the 8th September 2019. 

During the day, which starts at 10am, I will be demonstrating step-by-step the two paintings pictured above.

A delicious 2-course homemade lunch is included in the price and the day ends with one of Nigel Caleno's legendary cream teas at 4:30pm. 

Both these pictures are fun to paint and are suitable for beginners and more advanced painters. The emphasis of the day is to explore some of the more in-depth aspects of this beautiful medium to improve existing skills or learn new ones. 

The list of equipment needed is small; just 6 colours of paint, 2 brushes, and watercolour paper. Everything else can be found in or around your home.

As an elected member of the Suffolk Art Society I am exhibiting with other members at The beautiful historic church of St Peter and St Paul's in Lavenham. The exhibition runs from Saturday the 25th May until Sunday the 9th June. 

At the time of writing a dozen framed paintings and a dozen unframed paintings have sold already. The display is updated all the time as pictures sold can be taken away immediately and the artists bring new ones to replace them.

Daffodils, primroses, blossom and tulips – colour in abundance, at last. The perfect workshop if you’d like to paint a card for Mother’s Day or buy the workshop as a present for your mother.
 
Demonstrations and individual guidance will be given.
 
Workshops are run on the second Wednesday of every month. Click on the link to browse the monthly themes. 

November 11th, 2018 Remembrance Day marked 100 years since the Armistice that ended World War I.

St Peter's Church in Sudbury, where I live, was covered in hand knitted poppies so I temporarily adapted a painting I was doing at the time to reflect this.

The response, when I posted it on my Facebook Page, was astonishing! As a result I had a Limited Edition of prints made. They come in two sizes; one to fit a standard 10" x 12" frame, when mounted, and a smaller one to fit a standard 6" x 8" frame, when mounted.

If you would like one you can order one online here or, if you are visiting Sudbury they can be purchased from The Art and Framing Shop.

Art Drop Day happens on the first Tuesday in September each year. It was started by Jake Parker, a cartoon artist in America "to feel a little more connected to each other through the act of creating and giving". The idea being that we create art, post hints where it has been left on social media and wait for it to be found.

My first art drop was made in 2016. Here's what happened...

I know - many people are afraid that they aren’t very good at painting and think there is no point in trying as they won’t get any benefit from doing it - but there is so much more to painting than painting.

This got me thinking: Why do I paint and why do I enjoy teaching so much?

I was in St Peter's church in Sudbury, Suffolk this morning demonstrating my watercolour techniques by painting the picture above, one of the windows in the church. Many thanks to all the people who made the trip in to Sudbury specifically to see me.

I was honoured to be invited to exhibit at The Sudbury Summer Art Fair in St Peter's Church again this year. Please show your support and visit the exhibition. So much hard work has gone into putting on this great show of local talent.