Just give me bigger canvases

This is the story of how I came to paint such big pictures.

I came back to art later in life and I soon found that I was so excited about painting that I used to begin at 5 am, and paint for an hour or two before heading to work with my dogs.

About that same time I also began to have blurry vision, the first sign of the disorder that I live with now, although I didnt know it at the time. To cut a very long story short, I was referred to the eye hospital who quickly decided that I may have Sarcoidosis , a rare auto -immune condition, hard to diagnose. I have been having specialist treatment ever since.

As my eye symptoms became worse at work, I was forced to give up my role as a dog groomer. One good thing was that I had time to do more painting. I began to hope that one day I would become a professional artist.

One of my earlier paintings, a pet commission from a couple of years ago

As my skills improved I offered dog, cat and horse portraits . But there were set backs with my health andI remember that I would lie in bed with a pad of paper and pastels and just try to carry on painting. Art was something to dream about during these rather unhappy days.

As my condition began to stabilise I began to create larger pieces, less detailed , featuring wildlife alongside the pets. Small details might evade me but I found that I could learn to paint in an impressionist style, using elements from my imagination, instead of following photographic references closely.

During the first big lockdown of the pandemic, lots of things happened that enabled me to make the decision to became a full time professional artist. At the same time I lost central vision in my left eye, and as a result I made the decision to create large scale canvases exclusively! I got the opportunity to move to a big studio with plenty of room and light. I found a great art courier and packaging company to assist me in the logistics side of transporting big pieces.

The thought that I might have limited time, with useful sight drives me on to make the most of the time that I have. I dont want to leave any painting left unfinished! To misquote one of my heroes, Robert Plant ‘Just give me bigger canvases!’

Surrounded by animals in my studio







Rainbow Clouds of Comfort

I have always been crazy about seeing rainbow colours all together, ever since discovering the glass prisms at school age 7. Later in a succession of new schools, I’d spend way too much time staring through my clear plastic ruler to watch the rainbows appear. Dont we find strange things to take comfort from?

I have managed to include much of the rainbow in this new cow portrait and I love it.

All that remains is to find her a name.

Join the Poppy Trail this Month!

The Ashby Poppy Trail is on this month! 100 original paintings by local artists are on display in the shop windows throughout the town. You can visit and follow the trail (download and print the leaflet from this blog post , or pick one up in the shops) and see all of the lovely pieces of artwork, until 2oth November.

You can also bid on your favourite paintings as there is a blind auction ( you fill in the back of the leaflet with your favourite piece and the amount of your bid -minimun £5 so you could really get a bargain . All funds are going to the Royal British Legion for Remembrance Sunday.

This is the piece I painted for the Poppy Trail, in the window at Mutleys of Ashby

New sheep paintings.

a sheep painting in oils

Im working on 8 sheep paintings. I think its 8, they won’t keep still for me to count them - makes a change from flock wallpaper, doesn’t it?

I love sheep, and they make a beautiful subject for my oil paintings. Im hoping to work on some pieces with rare breed sheep in the future, I just have to find some of these lovely animals on my travels!

If you are interested in commissioning an original painting of sheep, whether a specialist rare breed or otherwise, do get in touch. Here is my page all about ordering a bespoke painting from me. These custom paintings make a really special gift for a big birthday or special occasion.

My first Swadlincote art workshop - Snowy Stags!

My first Swadlincote art course, how did the artists enjoy it?

I held my first Swadlincote art course on the 17th October , at Sharpes Pottery Museum. There were 5 people booked on the day and everyone turned up on time :) We began by grabbing coffee and settled in for a fun morning’s painting. I took them through all the stages that I do when Im painting a stag. Of course this was a speeded -up version of my real life practice. We had the added advantage of using acrylics so that we could progress quickly through all of the stages and finish the paintings in one day.

Georgina creating a stag full of character, in her favourite colours, orange features highly in this piece

After lunch we added the element of snow with glazing and different size and shape brushmarks.

The day went super quickly. It was alot of information to take in and Im sure the attendees all had an early night after the concentration of the day.

Fortified with cake and cups of tea, everyone succeeded in creating amazing original pieces of art and I was so pleased with them! I’ve had marvellous feedback from everybody - to find out how you can participate check this out

Painting workshop dates before Christmas

I am holding a couple of all-day painting workshops at Sharpes Pottery Museum. The first is ‘Winter Stag’ where participants will paint their own version of my Winter Stag piece in acrylics. We will cover many things in this workshop, from composition and sketching out to glazing , layering and mark making. This one is onn the 17th October and there are currently two spaces left.

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A bespoke dog portrait

Here is a work in progress, a blue merle collie belonging to a childhood friend. I have yet to perfect her expression,she looks a bit worried here at the moment. I have been given free rein with the colour scheme

A new colourful collection of framed canvas animal art prints!

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For the first selection, I have chosen 6 of my most recent multi-coloured and intense oil paintings, with Highland Cows, Chiquitita the Alpaca, Sebastion the Bear, and Ink Blue Stag. I really love the vibrancy of the colours in these canvases, they really pack a punch and bring a happy vibe to a room. These prints are ideal if you are not ready to purchase a large original piece, and would like to try my art in your home, or need a smaller piece without compromising on the bright mood-enhancing colours.

I am delighted to be able to offer a new collection of framed canvases, in smaller sizes than my original pieces. Click here to view the prints. These are all prints that are exclusively available from me here on my website. Delivery is in 2-3 days and it’s worldwide shipping. The frames are ’ tray ‘or ‘float’ frames, slim and simple, in black for an elegant finish.

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Colourful Highland Cow art

Highland Cow oil painting

Applecross - 80 x 100 cm Highland Cow oil painting SOLD

Colourful Highland Cow art:

I have really enjoyed creating this girl. The underlayers were dark blue, turquoise and teal, and you can still see them peeking through in places. In the top layers, I added rich emerald green, a magical gold called ‘Quinacridone Gold’ which is a wonderful, transformative shade. I also used magenta and pyrrole red to add warm shades. June, who follows my Instagram says ‘This one is up to no good and loves parties’, and Id have to say she’s spot on!

The original painting of Applecross the Highland Cow is sold, however, I have released a collection of prints which are available to buy, see below.

How to store oil paintings

Have you been wondering how to store oil paintings?

If you need to temporarily store your original oil painting at some point, it is worth knowing a few little tips to prevent it from getting damaged or deteriorating during that time.

The idea is to keep the painting in a stable environment. This means at a steady temperature, and with nothing touching it that might cause changes. Paintings can be kept at home long as the place is dry and won’t get too cold, or too hot. Extreme temperatures that would leave to stretching and tightening of the canvas could make the paint crack.

Obviously, you don’t want the painting to get wet, so no leaks!

How to store oil paintings

Some of the telescopic boxes I use-these were holding small paintings being sent out but they are also ideal for storage.

Wrap the painting as it comes, whether that be stretched on its wooden frame, or in its external frame. Use acid free paper as the layer that touches the painting. Then use a protective layer of bubble wrap or eco card wrap. I would then use a storage box to prevent damage from projectiles or accidental knocks and drops. You can get telescopic picture boxes which have two parts that fit together and overlap. The added benefit of these is they adjust to fit lots of sizes of painting. These are really good and I use them myself. I get mine from Kite Packaging, although they only make them up to 80cm. If you want a really sturdy box for a large scale oil painting, then I recommend Transartbox, these are very robust boxes lined with wood. I use these for transporting my sold artworks. . Alternatively you can place a sheet of plywood to eaither side of your painting which will give much better protection than card alone. Store your painting flat if possible and ideally off the floor. You can store your certificate of authenticy inside the final layer of packaging if you like, so that the documentation is right there when you need it.

I store many paintings at a time, and I rent an internal storage unit for this purpose, as the temperature is stable and I know the environment is dry and clean. My paintings are secure and my insurance company and I are both happy with this arrangement!

How to clean your original oil painting .


Oil paintings should last for hundreds of years, careful handling and attention will give your newly purchased painting the best chance of a great long life!

Handling: An oil painting needs careful handling and needs to be protected from sharp objects that can tear the surface. This also applies to anything that could put pressure on the surface and stretch it out of shape. The canvas can become 'bruised' or dent with surprisingly little force, so be super careful if leaning the painting against anything that is not a flat wall. (I have almost had a mishap when leaning a canvas against an innocuous-looking storage bag, luckily I noticed in time that it was bending the surface of the painting slightly.)

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Be careful when you handle the painting, that nothing you are wearing (buckles, rings etc) could scratch the surface. Lift the piece from the two sides, so you don’t accidentally tip the painting and knock it against anything. Avoid door handles like the plague, they can catch and tear your canvas. (Ask me how I know)

If you ever do have an accident, don’t panic. Oil paintings can be restored by a professional, to the point where you would never know there was a problem. But it’s best to save yourself the stress and expense of that!

Lighting: Although all of the premium quality oil paints that I use are certified lightfast and therefore my paintings will not fade, it is nevertheless always good practice not to display your painting in bright direct sunlight. The best lights to use for illuminating a painting are designed for the purpose, otherwise, diffuse lighting is a good choice.

Temperature: Try not to hang the painting in a place where temperatures are likely to fluctuate. Lots of changes in temperature could potentially warp the wooden stretcher bars that support the canvas. The ideal highest temperatures are 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping the range of temperature that your canvas is exposed to within a 20-degree limit is ideal.

Humidity: (Don’t hang it in the bathroom) High humidity in the atmosphere can cause the canvas to stretch and become less taut on the frame, and is best avoided. If your canvas does begin to 'sag' then it can be re-tightened on the frame, you would just need to visit a framer. It is a good idea to keep paintings away from humidifiers and heaters if possible, to be on the safe side.

Cleaning: If you want to clean the surface of your oil painting, it is possible to clean any dust from the painting by using a very soft brush or white soft cloth. Go gently, and avoid knocking any texture areas off of the surface of the painting. Dont be tempted to use any cleaning sprays or solvents at all as these can damage the painting. If the painting requires more cleaning, then you can use a little warm water and olive oil soap and very gently clean the surface. Only use a slightly damp, not soaking wet, cloth. Do not rub, and dont use paper towels or anything abrasive.

If the painting needs more cleaning than this, I would consult a professional art restorer for advice.

I really hope you find this article helpful.I will also put together a guide to storing and transporting original oil paintings on canvas, and post it here.

Synaesthesia - colours written in black and white

I see colour in the written word. When I look at the page of a book, I see colours jumping up at me from the page as I scan the shapes of letters. Sounds and music have a colour which I can clearly see.

I know it sounds strange but I’m not alone!

Synaesthesia is a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. It is estimated that only a small percentage of the population experiences synaesthesia


When I was in my teens I mentioned the coloured numbers to my mum "You know '3' is red, and so is 'A'? I’m not sure whether she thought I was being daft! I was surprised to learn that most people don’t share this phenomenon.

Years later I found out that this is known as Synaesthesia, and that a small percentage of people experience it. I was excited to hear that I was not the only one seeing the names of friends, places, and telephone numbers in stripes of vivid colour. I remembered the word 'Synaesthesia (with its attractive combination of greens, red and pink) and when the internet came along I was able to google it and find out more.

At that time, nobody knew much about it. Recently there has been a lot more research. There is even an online 'test' that you can do to see if you have numbers/letters to colour’ synaesthesia, which is known as 'colour-grapheme synaesthesia' I took the test, although I already knew what the results would be.

Telephone numbers appear as a kind of colourful bar code. Sometimes synaesthesia makes it really easy to remember things. It can sometimes be confusing, particularly when words are printed in the wrong colour. My Tuesdays and Thursdays come as a pair, both being blue-grey, which can lead to mix-ups.

Friend’s names appear in colour, which can make it very easy or hard to remember! For instance, my Elaine, Helen and Wendys are all green, names which may lead to mix-ups. Barbara and Sarah are both red and black. I must write my shopping lists down so that I don’t arrive back with items memorised as a similar ‘colour’ that is not required.

I do enjoy being synaesthetic it gives me such a colourful and slightly chaotic life :)

I’m sure that my art is influenced by synaesthesia. I have a strong affinity with certain colours and use colours to perk up my mood or calm me down, depending on what I need. These are the colours that find their way into my work on any particular day.

A new commission ready to travel

My most recent bespoke Highland Cow piece ready to go to her forever home. She will travel in style as I’m trialing a new specially made art box packaging to send her in.