Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s house, painted after a recent visit to the wonderful Lake District.

I didn’t have far to go to find this tree as it is just across the road. I thought I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere as we have had severe weather warnings for the week end, but the worst of it seemed to travel along the south coast and up the eastern side of the country, skirting around us, so we were lucky. Here we are, a week into November and we have had a lovely sunny day. Windy, yes, but not extreme. I thought I would make the most of it while the leaves are still on the tree and glowing in the sun – they might not be there for much longer.

I did another version of the rose hips in the front garden today before the next ‘named’ storm hits us. I’m not sure if it’s finished, I think I could put a few more darks in. I’ll keep it on the easel for now and have another look at it later.

The best of Summer may be over in the garden, petals mostly gone, except for Cosmos, as we haven’t had a heavy frost yet, and the leaves are falling, although the larger trees surrounding us are going their Autumn thing, providing us with a display of yellow, orange and reds, and I look forward to the best which is yet to come. Here in the garden, the focus is changing from the soft swathes of flowers to the more structural stems of Sunflowers with their huge heads of seeds, Teasels and, closer to the ground, Roses, which have beautiful coloured hips. A quick note in a sketchbook is a reminder to attempt a different version before they disappear.

Freshly fallen from the trees, Autumn leaves are full of glorious colour combinations, often of such intensity it takes ones breath away. A wonderous tapestry upon the ground. Like all beauty it is quick to fade, and soon becomes colourless and a hazard to the elderly and unwary.. It will be a long time before we are able to admire their jewel-like qualities again, but the memories will linger for a lifetime.

The days of pumpkins, gourds and squashes are with us again, and I look forward to them every year. I can never resist their shapes and exuberant colours. Plus they last long enough to be able to paint a number of variations.

Sketched on a recent trip to the Lake District,in the far North-west of England. What a magnificent place, and I have no idea why I have never been there before! So much to see in all directions – not just the lakes.

There is no better way to get to know a place than to sketch or paint it. So much better than a quick unconsidered photo snapped in passing.

The only drawback is that it takes time to immerse oneself in the surroundings, and with so much to see in such a wonderful landscape, a few days, even a few weeks, is not enough. Will definitely need to go back for a longer stay…

Cumbria is as far North-west as you can go in England. Any further and you will find yourself in Scotland. ‘Cumbria’ was invented back in the ’70’s by amalgamating two long established counties, Cumberland and Westmoreland, with a little bit of Lancashire thrown in for good measure, which made absolutely no sense to anyone other than politicians.

It is beautiful though, with mountains, lakes and a coastline. Now a National Park known as the Lake District due to the large number of lakes, the largest and perhaps best known of which is Lake Windermere.

After a few months of white flowers at the bottom of the garden, the Rudbeckias are coming into their own with their Autumnal yellow and red colours, and very welcome too. There should be some Sunflowers, but at the moment they are still concentrating on growing upwards and have not yet shown their smiling faces.

moleskine 8 x 5 inches watercolour album

I went for a walk along a different route today, one which, in fact, I don’t think I have taken this side of Covid. Lots of things have changed. Trees have grown, (shocking!), and their branches are meeting either side of the path overhead. Old barns, which I have previously painted as derelicts, have been, or are in the process of being, re-roofed, smartened up or converted into dwellings. Speaking of which, fields which were just fields, now have new homes crammed into them – I almost didn’t recognize the place! Which just goes to show how important it is to sketch things when you see them and not put it off for another time. Nothing stays the same for ever.

This little sketch actually had more going on in the background, but I wanted to keep it simple – it’s easy to be distracted and end up putting too much in.