I’ve been very quiet for a while – sorry about that. Now that the children are back at school I have a little more time and have been making the most of it. The Nightingale Project, which I started a year ago, has gained momentum in recent weeks. Many of the paintings were just scribbles and notes, and had to be left while i concentrated on the paintings for Toffee Town, and then Christmas orders. And then, well, home schooling slowed production too. Though my Maths has improved! Anyway – as the paintings have been coming together, I’ve made a…

Happy New Year everyone! I just wanted to write a little, positive post, to let you know how things stand in the studio at the moment. When i locked the studio door at the beginning of the school holidays, I was on a mission to make the very best of this Christmas. My family is large and sociable, and quite spread out, so we always have an epic family get together where the cousins run as a pack, and every meal is a feast, planned right down to the last mince pie. This year I decided that we would make…

This morning I unwrapped all the Toffee Town paintings and spread them around the studio. I’m very excited that this exhibition is going to launch at last. Obviously somewhat apprehensive that the plug could be pulled between now and Saturday! I really hope not. They are here and framed. The prints are done. The cards are on their way. NEVER have I been so prepared for an exhibition. Honestly – it’s a little unnerving… I’ve had a couple of viewings today in my studio, and on Thursday they’ll be off to hang in The Yorkshire Gallery. Halifax Town HallInks, gouache,…

I’m so pleased to be able to finally announce the dates for my postponed ‘Toffee Town’ Exhibition, taking place at The Yorkshire Gallery in Halifax’s beautiful Piece Hall. This was originally meant to take place much earlier in the year but somewhat disasterous eye surgery pushed the date into May, and Covid delayed it after that. So… On Saturday 26th September until Sunday 29th November, The Yorkshire Gallery presents… TOFFEE TOWN A celebration of the beautiful buildings of Halifax. Unfortunately, because of Covid restrictions, we can’t do the usual lovely preview, with cake and wine and chatting. The doors will…

Yesterday there were two announcements made about BIG things in my calendar: Art in the Pen in Skipton was officially cancelled and replaced by a virtual event. And Hebden Bridge Open Studios was further postponed to become another virtual event in October. I quite understand the need for both, but still… It’s all rather late notice, but I was thinking of marking the original weekend of Hebden Bridge Open Studios (which should’ve been this coming weekend (July 3rd, 4th and 5th). If you would like to visit my studio in Hebden Bridge on Saturday (4th July) or Sunday (5th July)…

I apologise in advance for this. It’s going to be a long and rambling post. This has kind of been a long and rambling time. Very odd…. That first week of Lock Down I was woken very early by a Nightingale. It was about 4.30 or so; before the other birds were singing. It wasn’t like anything I’d heard before. Now I do realise that a Nightingale so far north is unusual and the first thing my Dad said when I told him was that it must have been a Blackbird or a Robin. But I hear those all the…

UPDATE: The exhibition will now launch on Saturday 26th September. Happy to announce a new solo exhibition at The Yorkshire Gallery in The Piece Hall, Halifax. ‘TOFFEE TOWN’ THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS OF HALIFAX Saturday May 23rd – August 16th. I’m an Offcumden you know. I don’t count myself as a Southerner as Suffolk, where I was born and lived til I was 19, is really out on a limb and isn’t connected to anywhere. But Northerners would probably count me a Southerner… I came North to York for University in 1995 and our tutor (Bruce Windle. Lovely man) took us…

I was thrilled last year when Shibden Hall commissioned a painting for their entrance hall. It’s rare for me to go there without the children, and therefore the pull of the boating lake or the playground. I went in August while they were staying with Granny down in Wiltshire. I played around with two compositions. There’s a lovely view from the orchard above – a birds eye view. Or the view from the lake below, looking up at the house… The Hall requested the second one. The hall is like a treasure trove of beautiful details! There is a window…

It can’t have escaped your notice (and if it has – well done) that it’s the countdown to Christmas. Thank you to everyone who’s bought from my online shop, or through one of the galleries that sell my work. Hebden Bridge has been wonderfully buzzy this weekend, and last, with Open Studios and street markets. I’ve managed to avoid Amazon almost entirely (almost! But I needed printer ink and shoe dye, which I couldn’t find anywhere else) instead using my Amazon shopping cart app to list all the books I wanted, and then buy them from the Salts Mill book…

I realise that I’ve not posted anything here since just before Open Studios back in July. Everything seems to get a bit chaotic over the summer and my family had some good adventures over the holidays. For the first time, I was a little sad to get back into the studio routine. The twins are eight now, and my eldest is 12. They’re good company! I hope it lasts. Anyway, while they were away for a few days with my lovely Mum in the summer, I took my camera off to Halifax to start planning a new exhibition for next…