Sampford Courtenay & the Three Hares

Here is my latest painting and the last one in 2012! It is one in a new series I am doing depicting the Three Hares symbol which is particularly prevelent in this areal, in fact there are seventeen Parish Churches containing one or more carved roof bosses of the three hares. This one is of the fine church of St Andrew's at Sampford Courtenay where I live which has two bosses as seen in my painting.
I wish you all a Very Happy New Year..........may it be a drier one!

Christmas Day 2013

A few photo's from my Christmas day walk from Sampford Courtenay to Honeychurch a tiny village with a charming 12th century church with a simple interior. I did manage to get a glimpse of sunshine giving some fleeting and dramatic rainbows but it was mostly rain, rain and more rain!

RAMRAID in CHAGFORD!

Everyone was shocked when they discovered our local Spar shop had been broken into during the night, Chagford is such a normally safe place you can leave your house open all day and your car keys sticking out of the car door (I have several times) and nothing happens, so this is a major incident! The theives stole a car from Mortenhampstead and about 3am in the night drove it right through the shop window where they then took the till, surprisingly they left the booze!

Dartmoor Pony

I took this picture of one of the four Dartmoor ponies kept on the moorland below Castle Drogo to help keep the bracken under control, it was enjoying the first rays of the early morning sun on a frosty morning. Kestor can be seen in the distance.

Then & Now!

A dry day at last! We have had so much rain recently and when it is not raining it has been so miserable and grey making it difficult to see to paint even in my usually light studio. Here are a few pictures taken before and after the storms, standing in the same spot on the bridge over the river Teign the top two pictures looking one way and the other two towards the salmon pool.

From Autumn to Winter!

The Autumn colours have been spectacular here with hardly any wind and warm weather after an early frosty spell. Here are two pictures taken a few days ago. One of fabulous reflections in the Salmon Pool on the River Teign below Castle Drogo, one of the beautiful row of Beech trees lining the drive to the castle, and one of a Red Admiral butterfly taken yesterday basking in the sunshine! However it is all change today with howling gales and lashing rain and not a leaf left on the trees! I just hope that butterfly found a safe spot to hibernate in.

Bantham

A beautiful warm Sunday and we went down to the South Hams to Bantham where I took these pictures of this pretty boat house at Jenkins Quay on the clear blue River Avon, the pink reflections are just a perfect contrast to the blue/green water and if I had time would be good to paint. We had a great walk along the cliff path past Thurlestone to Hope Cove where I can reccomend a great Sunday roast at The Hope & Anchor.

Autumn Fungi

Here are three photo's taken recently of some of the beautiful fungi that is around at the moment. The bright yellow fungi is Calocera viscosa, and the red one is Fly Agaric but I am not sure of the other one.

First Snow of the Winter

I was really surprised to see the moors white with a light covering of snow this morning, it looks so beautiful but far too early I feel. Here are a couple of pictures taken from one of my favourite walks on the Hunters Path below Castle Drogo near Chagford.

Wild Seas in Cornwall

We spent the day down in Cornwall on Sunday and it was as warm as summer, the sea was amazing with huge clear waves causing the sea to froth like ragged lace. There were many seals appearing to be enjoying it, here is a picture of two who were keeping an eye on me above! Also a kestrel hovering above the cliff top and the huge waves breaking onto Holywell beach

Sir Roger Moore

On Friday we went to Bath to the Theatre Royal to see Sir Roger Moor talk about his life especially his role as James Bond as he has just had a new book published Bond on Bond. It is amazing to think of him now being 85! He still looks very sauve and his voice is just the same. Here is a picture taken at the book signing after the show when the queue stretched right out of the theatre and down the road, he is sitting with his wife Christina.

CHAGFORD

I took this photo this morning and just caught the sun as it lit Chagford like a spotlight, the mists were rising in the forsest above from Fernworthy reservoir and the Fallow deer near where I was standing were sending out their loud barks as the rut has just begun.

New Shop Sign

I have just had this new sign made to go outside my gallery, I get so fed up with people just thinking I am the shop assistant and asking me if I paint! I hope this my help. I do find it really hard as my studio is upstairs in the gallery; to be precise, it is up 15 steep stairs across a room and down another 5 stairs, so every time someone comes in I have to put down my brush and go down and sit at the desk which is sometimes incredibly frustrating when I am in the middle of something delicate. If only the light and space was more suitable downstairs I could paint there but it is not.

Tiger Oh Tiger!

I have just completed this painting of a Male Amur Tiger, his name is Vladimir and he lives in a spacious enclosure in the Dartmoor Zoo with his two sisters Blotch and Stripe. I do not usually like Zoo's but after seeing a TV programme about Ben Mee and his struggle to keep and improve this zoo we went along and were impressed by it. Ben Mee has written a book "We Bought a Zoo" and recently a film has been made about it starring Matt Damon. Tigers are in drastic decline mainly through being hunted for body parts which is something we should be ashamed of and it should be stopped before there are no beautiful wild Tigers left to see. I would like to donate a percentage of the sale of this painting to this cause.

Kitty

I planted a little Box tree in a tub outside our house earlier on this year, I bought it because it reminded me of Provence especially on a warm day when it gives off a lovely aroma. There were many Box bushes where we used to live in Provence and our little cat Kitty who was a wild French kitten who found a home with us and then returned to England with us I am sure remembers this as she just loves this bush and curls up on top of it rubbing her face in it and even nibbling the leaves.

Les Hautes Courennes

This is one of my latest miniature oil paintings of Provence, this remote village Les Hautes Courennes sits on a plateau near Saint-Martin-de-Castillon in the Luberon National Park. It consists of just a handful of houses and ancient farms with sheep and goats. Here I have painted it with the lavender in flower and one of the beautiful old houses in the centre of the village, you can also see the tall bell tower and the Luberon mountains behind. To see more of my French paintings do have a look at my website

www.paintingsofprovence.com

Provence Painting

I have just been working on a new Provence Miniature Oil painting "Belle Maison a proximite de Roussillon". This beautiful house is one I have painted several times as it always looked so lovely at different times of year  and usually in late May has a wonderful field of poppies in front of it. It was nice to be transported back to beautiful Provence if only through my paintings and I am busy working on a few more oils at the moment and really enjoying them. If you would like to see more of my French paintings do look at my website www.paintingsofprovence.com

Beautiful Sunset

I watched the most beautiful sunset last Friday evening, I was torn between staying to see this or going home to see the opening of the Olympic games. The sunset won, after all I could replay the Olympics! I particularly like this picture as a large flock of Rooks flew in to roost just in the perfect spot.

Meadow Brown & Common Blue Butterflies

Here is another picture of one of my latest Butterfly Watercolours. It is if a Meadow Brown and Common Blue Butterfly with some of the beautiful Russian Comfrey that is growing in our garden, it is just so pretty that I had to paint it and thought it would look great with two of the butterflies that I have seen flying about recently. If you would like to see more of my butterfly paintings do have a look at my website www.butterflypaintings.net

Holywell Bay

Summer at last! It has gone from one extreme to another and we are now basking in glorious sunshine with not a cloud in sight. Yesterday I spent the day in Cornwall walking the cliff paths around Holywell Bay which are brilliant for wild flowers and masses of insects  and then cooling off in the sea which is a perfect temperature.......heaven!!

Chagford

I managed to take this picture of Chagford from the Hunters Path below Castle Drogo as it was lit by a rare moment of sunshine which has been sadly lacking this summer. Everything is very green here at the moment and there are masses of wild flowers but unfortunately very few butterflies to enjoy them.

Me in my Pope Tribune 1904

Here I am in this rather fetching old Pope Tribune with my personalised number plates!! We had a recent visit to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire where they have a fantastic exhibition on at the moment "James Bond in Motion" with a huge collection of the vehicles used in the films. Also there is an amusing collection of Top Gear cars, plus all the usual exhibits. A great way to spend a rainy day!

Common Blue Butterfly

Recently I have been working like mad painting some of the beautiful wild flowers that are out in abundance at the moment together with butterflies which are not! This terrible long spell of cool damp weather has not been kind to them. However during the few sunny spells I have seen a few and this fuels my inspiration. Here is a picture of my most recent painting, a bright blue male Common Blue butterfly together with some equally bright blue Germander Speedwell which is growing in a wild part of my garden. I think this makes a really pleasing combination. To see more of my butterfly paintings do look at my website www.butterflypaintings.net

Bluebell Time

The Bluebells are glorious at the moment. Here is a picture I took at the top of Whiddon Deer Park near Chagford showing the ancient deer hut amidst a field of blue. It is one of the best places around here to see bluebells & if you are lucky also a glimpse of some of the wild Fallow deer who still live in the area.

Orange-Tip Butterflies

This is my latest butterfly painting of a pair of Orange-Tip's with Red Campions, Stitchwort and Bluebells. Inspired by seeing these bright little butterflies fluttering along the hedge banks I picked a few of the flowers I had seen them with and brought these back to my studio to paint. I have done a very loose watercolour background concentrating all the detail on the flowers and butterflies. To see more of my butterfly paintings do have a look at my website www.butterflypaintings.net

Grey Seals at Mutton Cove

We counted over 80 Grey Seals relaxing on the tiny beach at Mutton Cove near Godrevy on our recent visit to Cornwall. It is a superb place to see Seals. Here is a photo taken zooming down from the very high cliff above them

First Cuckoo of Spring!

We had a lovely day in Cornwall on Sunday and had a dramatic walk along the cliff path from the Lizard Point to the beautiful Kynance Cove. The sea was wild and incredibly blue and the cliffs were sprinkled with wildflowers including the pretty blue Squills. We heard our first Cuckoo calling in the scrubland behind the point.

Poneys on Padley Common

These pretty Poneys were having fun on the cricket pitch at Chagford this week, we did manage to get them off there and back onto the common where thay are free to roam. The beautiful speckledy male has sired many foals and this one looks as if it is his as well as it has a speckeldy patch on its rear!

Wild Cherry

The Wild Cherry trees are now in bloom, the Bullfinches love these and we are lucky to see so many of these beautiful birds here in Devon. I took this photo on my usual walk along the Hunters Path below Castle Drogo this morning. Each year I watch out for this tree to come into bloom as it is so pretty and has a great backdrop with the Teign gorge behind, I just hope it is not removed with the yearly slash and burn "management" that takes place in this area.

Nesting Nuthatch

I was thrilled to see the Nuthatches are back in their usual nest hole in a tree beside the river Teign near Chagford. I have seen them every spring for the past four years and it is a superb spot to stand and watch them. This morning they were gathering mud to close the nesting hole a little, here is a picture of one placing the mud around the hole.

Flower Power!

I have been going through a folder of my old artwork, all done in my teens and a lot in the 1960's that wonderful age of colour. After my foundation year at Guildford Art School I then did a design course and produced some really whacky fabric and wall paper designs. So yesterday being my day off I spent some time out in the sunshine at home photographing all of these. Here is a very large study of a single flower which makes quite a powerful image I think.

Dartmoor Granite Cross, Chagford

This huge granite cross used to be the Market Cross and stood in the market square in the centre of Chagford, it now stands below St Michael's church where it has become the war memorial. There are some magnificant views from here looking towards Castle Drogo and the Teign Gorge. As you can see from my photo all the Spring flowers are out and the weather is wonderful.

Great Crested Grebe's

We visited the Ham Wall nature reserve near Glastonbury on Sunday. It is a wonderful place to see wildfowl and it is possible to get quite close to most of it. We were so lucky to be able to watch a pair of Great Crested Grebe's displaying right in front of us. This photo shows the moment when after diving down at exactly the same time the pair emerged with a beak full of weed which they displayed to one another! All the while we could hear the amazing booming call of Bitterns amongst the reeds. Must go back!

Kingcups and Reflections

I have just been reunited with one of my old paintings Kingcups and Reflections, which is in a way a bit like seing an old friend after many years! It is a huge oil I did way back in the 1980's and has been brought back to me temporarily to be cleaned as it has been stored in a barn while its owner renovates her new home. I painted this before the age of digital cameras so I have now been able to take a new photo of it and put it onto a disk. I dont often get the chance to paint such large pictures these days!

Snowdrops and Crocus

The graveyard here in Chagford is looking stunning at the moment with a froth of Snowdrops and Crocus, they also line the river banks in many places and cover the hedgebanks. Here is a photo I took today while I took a break from being in the gallery.

Chichester Memorial

Leading on from my previous blog here is a picture of one of the fine memorials of the Chichester family inside the little church at Eggesford. This is the memorial of Arthur Lord Viscount Chichester Earl of Donnegall. On his left is his first wife who had one daughter, on his right his second wife who had six sons and two daughters one of which was born dead and can be seen laying beside her. The other children are placed bottom right.