january out and about

30 January 2017

Calafornia Poppies, John's Creek, Lake Hawea

Although my sketchbook is never far away on pretty much every trip outdoors, I do also have a new SLR camera, a Nikon D5500, that has become my constant companion. I've had to start using a bigger day pack too, because along with sketchbooks and paints I now also have to carry a tripod, big camera and lens and filters.

So far my 'models' have been very patient. Thank you!

Near Makarora, Southern Alps, New Zealand

Wingsuit BASE jumping, Mt Aspiring National Park, NZ

Reflections, Westland National Park, New Zealand

Evening Light, Westland National Park, New Zealand

Slacklining on the beach, Westland, New Zealand

View of Lake Wanaka & Roys Peak, New Zealand

Fresh snow and view of Mt Aspiring and the Southern Alps, New Zealand

Me high above home. Southern Alps, New Zealand.

Next stop February...
Here's hoping February brings more settled and more summer-like weather for longer adventures!

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One of my all-time favourite paintings of a stormy day in a ruined Roman town in Spain.

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premixed greens for watercolours

9 September 2026

I'm off to Italy next week for my last retreat of 2026 and I'm getting all sorts of things ready. One of them is, of course, my palettes. One of the questions I get asked a lot is how I decide which c...

from plein air sketch to finished painting

1 September 2026

A couple of weeks ago, while hiking with friends in Val Ferret on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif, I made a decision that will surprise no one who knows me. An hour in, we stopped to shed ou...

sketching retreat in spain : sept 2027

11 August 2026

My first watercolour retreat in Spain — Cabo de Gata, September 2027. Four years ago I moved to Spain. I've been painting here ever since — and quietly planning the day I could share it with you. ...