painting a swan in watercolour
8 September 2025
Watercolour tutorial — how to paint a swan and its reflection (step-by-step). A graceful white swan, softly lit and mirrored in still water — this step-by-step watercolour tutorial shows how to pa...
2025 paintings Clear tags
old dinghy in watercolour
27 August 2025
I have such a soft spot for this little old dinghy. I first found it in a photo on Unsplash, and I’ve painted it so many times - changing its mood, colours, and surroundings. This time I kept the bo...
paint a small town in the pyrenees
13 August 2025
Here's a scene from very close to home. So close, in fact, that's our house there at the back - the one with the new roof. Back in spring I sketched this scene, when the meadow was full of pretty, whi...
a lighthouse in watercolour
25 July 2025
I love painting lighthouses, and given the opportunity to combine one with a stormy sky is always extra enjoyable. So mix up your favourite stormy blues and greys and let's paint a little drama! Happy...
shop update
22 July 2025
The summer vibes continue! This time with Californian poppies. These ones are a reminder of summers in New Zealand, where these poppies grow as a riot of colour along our stoney lakeshore. I worked fr...
a vineyard in watercolour
20 July 2025
Painting Summer Vines and an Old Barn in France This super pretty scene is painted from a photo taken by Elysia on our second day sketching on location during last month’s painting holiday in France...
bold poppies in watercolour
3 July 2025
Looking for a bold, expressive watercolour painting project? In this week’s video tutorial, we’re painting a vibrant red poppy bursting with colour—set against a fun, abstract background that gi...
waterlily ponds
24 May 2025
In order to advertise next year's painting holiday in France, I took a trip down memory lane through the hundreds and hundreds of photos I've taken on the last 3 retreats, looking for the perfect phot...
early morning walks
14 May 2025
Last spring on an early morning walk in the hills, when I was all alone and could stop as many times as I liked to smell the flowers. Not exactly alone, really, because there were lots of birds and be...