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