Hi and welcome to another update of life in the art lane with me!

Just back from a breezy walk while visiting my family on the Isle of Man, a place I have come to know well and love. Colours are muted, gorse, heather, rusty hues in big slabs of rock and slate. Signs of spring, little buds forming and snowdrops, oh so elegant having their moment in the limelight. Yes, inspired and ready to get home to paint!

A series of big paintings is now underway, two years after my last large scale works. The first piece (above) is the River Avon, tumbling though Dartmoor at a place close to my home in my teen years. Growing up in the countryside worked for me, big spaces and silence. It is no surprise to me that as an urban artist I go looking and find my big space in my work now. More than just a memory but a feeling and something I feel compelled to express. 

I have loved the work of Ivon Hitchens, with his freshness of brush marks and use of clean colours. I also recently sat and soaked up as much of Turner and Constable at the Tate Britain as I could manage. Surely Turner is the Messi of painters, he makes things happen that just shouldn’t be possible, there is magic there. I am humbled to be somewhere in this line of British Landscape painters, and also so proud to do my part. With this in mind, I approach my big pieces, watch this space!

I have a really very sophisticated event coming up on 28 February in Wimbledon, see enclosed poster. I will be showing some of my work alongside the Jigsaw Players String Quintet as they recite the most exquisite selection of music. Their founder Emmanuella asked me what music means to me in my art practice? The truth is that music is the key to unlocking me. I can paint without music, but I find it flows so much easier when I do tune in to my favourite playlist. So this is a treat for me! Tickets are only £15, £5 for students and under 18’s are free of charge, come on over for a very special evening. 

Hope you all enjoyed my efforts on Sky Landscape Artist of the Year with the Ferry Port of Dover burned into my mind for ever! I wish I could have chosen to paint the white cliffs, but it was a brilliant experience. 

That’s it for me for now, stay warm, see you in May for our next open studio. In the meantime if you want to come to the studio to see my work, I’m always happy to welcome you, just email me and we can make a plan.

Alison