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…

So we’re in the process of hanging things and clearing out. My wonderful Mum has come to stay and is busy wrapping up all the little prints: Mum: She said a VERY rude word when I took her photo. And yesterday, just in time, my 2020 Calendars arrived! There are lots of prints. Including prints (and little proofs) of the new work currently hanging at Chantry House Gallery. There are also some small originals, including this trio of Northumberland waves paintings, and the little folding book I’ve made using the images: I had a lovely time making these yesterday. It’s…

We had a lovely opening day on Saturday. Thank you so much to everyone that came and to Emma and John of Chantry House Gallery. The Fish Pier – Whitby Framed Size: 147.5 x 87.5cm SOLD Autumn at Bolton Abbey Framed Size: 147.5 x 87.5cm £5600 Springflower (Flamborough Head Cove) Framed Size:106 x 87cm SOLD Minster Gardens Framed Size:87 x 106cm SOLD Birdwatching Framed Size:87 x 106cm £4200 Garden Square Framed Size:85 x 85 cm SOLD Newby Hall Framed Size: 147.5 x 82.5cm (aprox) £5400 The Vine House Framed size 57 x 67cm £3200 Seedlings Framed size 57 x 67cm…

Everything is being delivered to Chantry House Gallery in Ripley tomorrow, ready for the exhibition opening at 10am on Saturday. This is the last thing I finished: It was on my ‘would love to’ list, rather than my ‘must do’ list, so I saved it til last. I love doing these old printer’s trays. This one came from the US – it’s an American tray lay out. The spaces were large enough to think about a whole, small picture and the theme was trees. I do love to paint trees… I start off with large sheets of stretched watercolour paper…

Opening on May 18th at 10am, my new exhibition at Chantry House Gallery in Ripley. This collection of new paintings seem to track my family holidays and days out this last year! I painted these little greennhouses first, from The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. We were there in the summer holidays. I had an idea that the title for the exhibition should be ‘Gardens’. But then I went to Northumberland in Autumn Half term and got distracted by castles and beaches, and that incredible Northumbrian light. And then, while Daddy was away I took the children for a…

I don’t tend to do many commissions these days, and I tend to politely decline when people ask. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, I’ve just too many ideas of my own for my little head to process most of the time. But this one was a bit special… I’ve always love printer’s trays. When I was little, my Mum had an amazing shop in Eye (Suffolk) called ‘Talents’. It sold crafts and pictures, and one half was full of second hand treasures. She called it a junk shop at the time, but now it would be classed as…

Not a very inspiring title? Here’s the thing… Hebden Bridge is an awesome little town. But like all little towns it’s fighting its battles. There’s the traffic (flood prevention works continue to strangle us). There’s the parking. There’s the rail strikes. Like all small towns – actually even big cities – the high street is struggling to compete with the internet. Folks venture into the shops to try clothes or shoes on, or look at a book, and then walk away and order it cheaper online. It’s not just my local bookshop The Bookcase, but even in a big Waterstones;…

My passion for beautiful books come from my Dad. He read to me every night until I was about 14 I think – though I’m sure I kept quiet about it at school! Even when I’d finished being read to, I’d listen to my little sister’s stories. Her tastes were different; one of her favourites was ‘Minow on the Say’ – Phillipa Pearce. And the Little House books. I was more for Tolkein and Alan Garner. We both loved Moonfleet and Sherlock Holemes. I love reading to my children, and Becky loves to read to hers. Hattie and I read…