Sometimes I go off piste a bit and do a whole series of paintings I think are good but they are in fact `Stepping Stones`. Artists have to do these to get to higher places.

I really have been very productive. Just pushing myself before this break. This is a 20x16 oil on canvas.
I want to stop doing Pals and transfer the bright coloured  Landscape to Cornish and Devonshire Scenes.

Taking my sketch book with me on Hols to Devon.

I`ve noticed that there is still a bit of a snobbery about OIL. `It has to be oil.` ` Oh! You really should paint in oil`  Well after many years painting in both mediums I can tell you that it is just that. `Snobbery`. They are both fantastic mediums and both rather different. I love acrylic because of the crisp colours and speed of drying and oil because of it`s rich visably pleasing appearance on the canvas. It`s good painting in both. I can switch from one to the other. And I can tell you Acrylic just surprizes me all the time and stands up proud against it`s old time rival.

Really made this typical Naive style by putting in so much detail.

Pulling out all the stops to get these finished in time for deadlines. One to the ABNA ( Association of British Naive Artists)show in Devon and one to Thompsons Gallery in Alderburgh before Easter and the break.
This one is oil on canvas 29x32inches. The last one was acrylic.

The Orange grove  in the foreground to me just didn`t seem right so I changed them to warm shady blues. I hope its finished now.

Worked on the perspective today. And very nearly done. 30x30inch acrylic on canvas.

Pals again in Palafrugell near Barcelona.Spain.

A spot of Gardening. Thats Granny, Alana my daughter and Lorraine`s sister Suzy. And next doors washing. Simon from next door is a Fisherman out of Newlyn Harbour and brings us fish. Scallops, Haddock. Brill, Lemon Soul and Squid are always on our plates. In return he likes a bottle of red wine .

Oh spring at last. Theres Alana practicing her chords.

So sick of dark oils it seems I am having a colour turn. It must be spring!!

Subject matter is hard to come by right now so working on another Pals.

Well. Its done. The painting for the Royal Acadamy Exhibition has been shipped of. I packed it in the car and drove down to meet Tony from A J Vanlines who picked it up from Penzance Car park as well as lots of other hopefulls.  Thats Tony in the back of the Van. He`s a nice chap. Always helpfull , cheerful and informative. There was a lady there with a stick who I cant remember her name who wished it luck. Thanks Lucky Lady!!

I am so pleased with the way this has turned out. It`s local and Im not sure if I want to let it go?? It has that lovely Grey balenced feel about it. A good picture for a Cornish home.

Ok. This is for a local Exhibition in Ludgvan. And this is the little Church at Gulval which is the next little village with the Colstreamer Pub.there.

Pals in Palafrugell, Spain. One of my favourite subjects. Oil on board.

We are having a new kitchen put in so the old units are going in my studio and the old home made studio bits have been chucked out. In all this chaos I am still working in between times  and this little Gem of Pals is emerging. I like these paintings because It isn`t my working day painting with all the ups and downs, just fiddling and out it comes . No effort required.

Thought I had finished the Newlyn picture but I hadn`t. Finished now. and the Gulval picture unfolds very crudely

Day 2

And started a new picture of Gulval, a little village close to Penzance with a lovely little Church and were my friends Daphne Stephenson and Nick live.