A difficult week, a new painting.

This week I had to say goodbye to my Shetland pony, after having been his Mum for 25 years. It all happened very suddenly and I am still trying to come to terms with the loss. A good friend said to me ‘ We would all like to think that our animal family members are immortal, and it comes as a shock to realise that none of us actually are’ . This is so true.

I have struggled to create this week, however I am now back at the easel and it feels good to get back to the familiar work.

Here is a piece that I finished last weekend, nearly dry now and ready to varnish and package for shipping.

Lovely warm Autumn colours

I have chosen some really vivid colours for this painting of two inquisitive squirrels. This piece is nearly finished and will be available on the website soon.

A new Barn Owl painting on the easel this week

A new exhibition - In Hubs Swadlincote!

Last night I took. 20 original paintings to this great new enterprise support hub. They are all on display around the building and all are for sale! This brand new facility is going to be so valuable for small business owners locally. There are meeting rooms, separate pods with WiFi, and a little cafe with really nice coffee and brownies😊

New Bird Paintings!

I had a lovely afternoon making progress on these new kingfisher oil paintings. This morning I was at the hospital early for an echocardiagram. Happily it seems my heart has gone back to its normal size😊

This week I am enjoying creating new bird paintings in oil. These are two Kingfishers who will be available on my website soon. These are some of my favourite birds to paint because of their colours.

Progress on Red Squirrels

This cute pair of squirrels are nearly finished. I love the punchy warm Autumn colours! This piece is part of a new series.

A finished work in progress

I started sketching out this new Highland Cow piece two months ago, and I nearly finished it this week. Here are the stages, clockwise from the top left. This cow is irresistible to paint with that cheeky side-eye!

A new hare painting and a dog with a wonky tail!

One of our girls suddenly had a problem with her tail on Thursday night, and I sat up with her as she was panting and worrying about her tail and we didn’t know what was wrong. She wouldn’t let us examine her tail. She finally fell asleep but then was still having problems in the morning. We rang the vet but they were having an emergency and couldn’t get her in until the evening. So we spent the day babying her a bit and trying not to look worried. (Dogs pick up on a worried face immediately and seem to get worse). She performed at the vets as she is a bit scared around unfamiliar humans, so she was leaping around all over the place and scraping at my clothes, ripping them down! Anyway, the verdict was ‘Swimmers Tail’ a muscular problem caused by playing hard with her sister. She has a strip of anti-inflammatory tablets and is to take one twice daily for 5 days.

This morning (Sunday) she is back to her old, naughty, thieving self :)

During all this ‘excitement’ I have been painting this new hare in a magical garden. He has helped me stay sane! One more short session will see him finished and then I will post him on to my Art for Sale page. The canvas is 60cm x 76 cm and will be presented ready to hang, with gallery-wrapped sides.

A new original Highland Cow painting is finished!

This piece is very unusual, a chestnut coloured Highland Cow surrounded by Blue Himalayan Poppies, creamy-white Morning Glories, and tiny wild flowers. I have called this painting ‘Dawyck’ for the blue poppies that grow in the botanical gardens there. I have a family connection to the Dawyck estate, as my great grandfather worked on the estate for the Balfour family and my Nana used to tell me stories of growing up there and playing in the gardens as a little girl.

This gentle cow has a slightly guilty look on her face, almost as if she has a secret. The canvas is 100cm x 80 cm and is gallery wrapped with painted sides, ready to hang. This piece is sold, view my Originals page for new paintings as they come available.

‘Glencoe'

A quick look at all the rich colours in this oil painting.

Beautiful new oil painting colour released by Michael Harding!

Im always excited to be trying new oil paint colours and I knew I would love this one as teal is a favourite. The pigment here is pg50 which is stunning. Michael Harding oil paints seem to always be exceptional too, I have never been disappointed!

Painting a pair of Puffins!

We are really missing our trips to the beach in Somerset with the dogs this year, so Im certainly enjoying painting this little pair by the sea! There is every chance that I will create a coastal series of pieces this Autumn to help me satisfy my craving for the sea air and the noisy waves!

Beginning work on a new painting commission - Highland Cow in bright rainbow colours

Each Highland Cow portrait is a one-of-a-kind, unique oil painting. This little video shows the beginning stage of a new painting, which has been commissioned recently. Im going to film the whole process on this one and give the client the video along with the piece.

Big Highland Cow Painting

Corrie is a new big Highland Cow painting for sale. A heartwarming girl in radiant colours,

Update This piece is sold. Are you interested in a similar colourful piece of original art? Please get in touch to find out about comissioning a bespoke cow painting of your own.

Corrie the Highland Cow

One of the joys of commissioning a custom painting, is the ability to choose the subject and the colour palette and then let me do the rest!

Highland Cow Painting in Situ

Highland Cow Painting ‘Corrie’ 80 x 100 cm SOLD

A quick look at a varnished painting

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A pair of cow paintings find a new home together this week

These two 50 x 60 cm pieces are travelling to Australia to a lovely new home .

A new cow painting in the early stages…

A commissioned piece on the easel this week. I’m taking videos and photos to record my progress as I build up the layers.

Two owls up on the studio wall together

Here is my recently completed bespoke Snowy Owl painting, with my Eagle Owl painting the same size (40 x 30 cm) both paintings are sold, Im open for commissions currently, so please get in touch if you would like a painting created especially for you. Here is the link to my commissions page with all of the information you need.

A new bespoke owl painting

I was delighted to be asked to paint a beautiful Snowy Owl as I adore owls. I’m going to give him a coat of breathable varnish and then he is off to his new home overseas!

If you want your own bespoke animal or bird painting, check out my commissions page for all the information

New piece “By the Light of the Silvery Moon’

Hare Paintings With Flowers

I enjoy creating hare paintings with flowers, and I’ve just begun this new hare painting with wildflowers and a full moon. There is make-believe and magic in this piece 🙃 Size is 75cm x 50cm oil painting on stretched canvas with painted sides