BUTTERFLIES AT GIDLEIGH PARK

I have been working on a commission of butterflies enjoying the wildflower meadow at Gidleigh Park which is a beautiful hotel just oustide Chagford. The painting is now nearly finished & shows male & female Common Blue butterflies together with a Marbled White, Meadow Brown & Small Copper butterfly.

DARTMOOR ZOO

Sorry not to have been blogging recently but we have just moved house & have been busy unpacking etc! Here is a picture taken recently of one of the beautiful Peacocks that wander the grounds at Ben Mee's wonderful Zoo which is in Sparkwell just above Plymouth. It is a great place for both adults & children to visit with Tigers, Lions, Brown Bears, Meercats, Jaguars, Monkeys,Wolves, Cheetas & much much more all in spacious outdoor spaces.

WILDLIFE ART SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL

I have just returned from the Wildlife Art Society International exhibition which is held each year at Wallsworth Hall in Gloucester. This is also the home of Nature in Art which is a wonderful place to visit if you are interested in wildlife art as it houses some of the very best in the world. Here is a picture of myself with the renowned artist Polyanna Pickering standing infront of some of our work.

SURPRISED FALLOW

While walking the Hunters Path below Castle Drogo a small group of Fallow deer shot across infront of me, the first one stopped in surprise at seeing me & I managed to get this picture of it looking quite startled! I love the pose.....

ART AT DELAMORE

Delamore Country House is in Cornwood near Ivybridge & each May holds an exhibition of sculptures in the beautiful gardens & artwork in the house. It is well worth a visit. Here in front of the house are two dogs by Melanie Deegan who's work I also show in my gallery in Chagford.

NUTHATCH

I am so pleased to see the Nuthatches are back in their nesting hole in a tree besides the river Teign. It is the fourth spring that they have used this nest & they are busy feeding young in it again. It is right beside the bridge below Castle Drogo & easy to see from here.

RED WEDDING DRESS

While we were enjoying the bluebells on Dartmoor there was a photographer with a model wearing a bright red wedding dress posing amongst the bluebells. This made a great contrast with the blue & red. I took some pictures of the action & here she is looking a trifle unbalanced on a granite stone!