It’s an age since I posted, and I can’t say I have been struck by lightning or attacked by some deadly virus, it’s just that thing called Life which has been in the way of my being able to sketch as much as I need to. It happens that way. Hopefully, things are getting back to normal and I’d like to say thank you to everyone who follows me, and to wish you all a Merry Christmas – and my Number One New Year Resolution will be to post a lot more consistently!

I haven’t been able to do much sketching for the last few weeks for various reasons, and whenever this happens, it always takes a while to get back into the routine, and more importantly it takes a while to be able to sketch anything that one is half-way pleased with! This Turk’s Hat pumpkin was painted a few weeks ago quite quickly as I have been waiting years to find one at the right time.

I didn’t have time to place it into any context, so it is impossible for anyone to know what size it might be. A few days later I was able to paint it again and add a further detail…

I was hoping it wouldn’t be long before the trees started to show their Autumn colours, and sure enough, they are starting to appear in places now. The amount of rain we have had, and continue to have, means that a lot of fallen leaves quickly lose their colour and turn brown.

I was lucky enough to find this tree in the little village of Wyck Rissington, not far from my home. A charming place with wide tree-lined grass verges, a village hall and little else. It is surrounded by fields and footpaths and is a wonderful place to sketch. As well as finding this tree (and others), the sky remained blue with bright sunshine. As it was not particularly warm though, I painted this in a sketchbook from the car.

Munchkin Pumpkins are beginning to appear in the shops to remind us that Halloween will soon be with us. More importantly, it also means that the rich Autumnal colours of the landscape will soon be brightening up our days. The leaves are already turning, and all we need is a little more sun to show the colours at their best.

Despite a rather wet Summer, our grapes have obviously enjoyed the conditions, and have done better than we imagined. OK, so there may not be enough to make a bottle of wine, maybe not even a glass, but it is the first time we have ever had enough to be able to call a BUNCH. There are a few smaller nearly- bunches too. Cheers !

As the rain falls in sheets, instantly causing roads to flood, gutters to overflow and schools to close, it is good to be transported back a couple of weeks to Ayrshire, itself no stranger to a wet summer this year, and remember a day warm enough to enjoy a walk along the banks of the water flowing peacefully beneath the small bridge.

We’ve been away for a bit of a break in a remote part of Scotland, where we managed to dodge some of the showers to follow the walks, some on the flat, others not so much. This is a lodge to a private estate, and the way over the bridge took us through some woodlands alongside the river.

Now it’s a matter of getting back into the routine and the start of classes again this week.

My Sunflowers, which I have painted a few times now, are starting to show a bit of wear and tear, though still very presentable, and this sketchbook page shows then in a stoneware jar. They still have a few days to go, so I hope I will be able to sketch them a few more times before they collapse completely.

After a wet start to the week, last Thursday was warm and windy, but good enough to sketch at the allotments, where there was enough subject matter – combined with a little artistic llicence- to keep everyone happy.

Sunflowers always brighten up the day, and apparently they remind us of Hope and Optimism in difficult times, and we could all do with a bit of both wherever in the world we are.

These are supermarket flowers and I’m hoping to do a series of sketches over the next week. I always find the first in a series is a bit stiff, and it takes a few attempts to get closer to what I want.