We all went to stay in Robin Hoods Bay at half term. It was so cold – I slept in a hat on the first night! It was all frost and bright sun though, and very inspiring. I’m working on a commission of Whitby, but want to paint two pieces from Robin Hoods Bay too. Hattie and Daniel and I ate fish and chips wrapped up in a blanket on the beach. It was wonderful.

Daniel took these nice photos. My photos tend to be functional!

I haven’t scanned them yet, but I have now finished 5 pieces for the Brighouse exhibition! I’ve had 8 pieces on the go for so long, and suddenly they’re all coming together. I have only the stitching to go. That’s the bit I hate. It’s very unsettling running a needle through a painting that’s taken months!. My Bernina and I have been known to fall out…

I shall post one or two of them shortly.

Hattie and I ventured down to town this morning to have a look at the new plans for the town hall. I wanted to go and have a look inside because I’ve just finished this piece, which shows the building very clearly. Walking down the Keighley Rd there is an amazing view down the river and you can see three bridges stacked up on top of one another.

When I’d finished that I thought I’d go back to the cold colours of this one. I’m trying to keep the palette very limited.

And then – for something completely different, I’m having a go at some lino cuts. I don’t think I’ve done any since my Foundation year and I’d forgotten the lovely smell of warm lino and linseed oil inks. I’ve designed several cages and lots of birds and I’m going to play.

This was only a test print. I’m not allowing myself to do anything more elaborate until I’ve completed all the blocks .

A week or so ago we all went to Knareborough for the day. It was so cold!

The architecture, like that of Hebden Bridge and Bradford upon Avon, would lend itself so well to my way of patchworking the landscape.

I really want to do some pictures of Knaresborough, and perhaps approach a gallery there. It would be the perfect excuse to keep going back! I sat and did some sketches; Hattie sat and coloured in some Pepa Pig. But it was too cold for either of us to sit for long!

I now have eight canvases started for the Brighouse exhibition. Last term Hattie and I were invited into Greetland Primary school to do some work with the year 6. We all worked on landscapes of Greetland; they created individual buildings which I patch worked together. These two big pieces are almost complete now; we just need to go in for one last session for the finishing touches. Inspired by their interpretation of Greetland I’ve started a landscape of my own:

I’m really hoping to display the children’s and my Greetland paintings altogether at some point.

Hattie and I played out in it lots. She was demanding in her requests for elaborate snow creatures. This is meant to be a snow puppy – put I think it looks more like Piglit!

Hattie and I attanded an exhibition preview at Harrison Lord in Brighouse last weekend. It’s an exhibition called “Best of Yorkshire” and was to celebrate the reopening of the gallery after a difficult and dusty year, and the life of Peter Brook, who died shortly before Christmas. There’s a big article in the Brighouse Echo. Christa Akroyd came along to open the show. She was lovely!

I’ve been kindly assisted in my hunt for better titles. Down to Town in now Valley Gardens, Rooftops is now Five to Seven. Several of these new ones seemed to be named after trees. Not quite sure what that says. I’ve just finished another with very prominent red trees. Definately can’t call it Red Trees..

There is just under a month to go before my exhibition opens at the Calder Gallery. I have completed 11 new pieces so far, and have a final 3 under way. I also have one more – of bluebells – which I hope to have time to do. Time will tell! I have just uploaded 2 new pieces. Bay Trees, like Siesta, is an out of character “not Yorkshire” painting. But in these past cold weeks it has been lovely to remember the warm Italian sun on my head as I sat drawing in the archways shown here. The other new one, Down to Town, is my current favourite as it seemed to paint itself. The fact that it is quite accurate to life, and that I pass the spot daily, meant I had a continued point of reference for the colours and the perspective – especially those distant hills. The title is not the final one, but I’m a bit stuck. I need suggestions! Anyone?