At the start of this month I had the Private View of my show at Fowey River Gallery – it was a lovely evening and a great success!

I have also completed 20 acrylic paintings for a show at The Mulberry Tree Gallery in Swanage this summer. I wanted it to have a range of methods to create interest and richness, so with this in mind I've started a series of watercolours and sketches to be shown alongside the acrylics.

The revelation is that this change of medium has given me a huge creative injection. I'm having to think in a different way and slow right down and really plan every wash of colour.

The subject matter hasn't changed but the transparency of the paint has added a freshness and delicacy to the images. I'm very excited about it, and I hope my enthusiasm  for these new paintings makes for a dynamic exhibition.

I have finished the show!

After a rocky start this has been one of the most enjoyable exhibitions ever, it has flowed really well. The show runs from the 7th - 21st April at the Fowey River Gallery (in Fowey). I'll post more details here nearer the time.

I'm still feeling pretty inspired so I will take a couple of days off for some hard core gardening and then dive into the next paintings.

This month I have started work on a show for Fowey River Gallery. It's quite a small show - just 25 paintings - but I was a bit daunted by it. Normally I have a big show every other year and the rest of the time is spent painting to replace work that has sold in various galleries. But this year and into next I have agreed to two shows.

I had a total blank at the beginning of the month, and had no idea how to start the show. The first painting is so important - it sets the tone and if its a cracker everything just falls into place after it.

So, I spent a few days just walking with my dog and notebook, writing ideas as they slowly came through. Then one morning I was feeling much more positive and made a start, and once the first painting was done it was happy days!! Now I'm on a roll and making the most of it by working as much as possible, aware that at any moment I might lose the momentum.

When it is going well painting is an utter joy, but when I get stuck it's the worst feeling and I it seems as if I will never get out of the rut (although I always do). It becomes obsessive and I can't think of anything else and yet normally if I do just switch off for a day or two the ideas come flooding back. Its a real rollercoaster!

Walking is my saving grace, and nearly all my ideas come from a walk - either from something I've seen or a random thought. So, right now every thing is good and I am really enjoying it, I don't want to speak this soon, but I think this might be my best ever show!

I want to thank everyone for making this month such a success. I've loved doing a painting a day. It's been a real learning curve, not so much with the paintings themselves but all the other things - the website, uploading the images, even wrapping the paintings!! Being an artist can be quite a solitary occupation but this month has really felt like a shared experience. Every day for 30 days I have been immersed in these tiny images. Having to come up with an idea is brilliant for focusing the mind, and my morning walks with my dog Jess have given me the space to do this. I might well do it again next year if I get a free month. I have a feeling I may go the other way now and start work on some larger more complicated paintings, so watch this space!

For the final painting I took photos at each stage and here is the resulting animated picture showing how its done (if the image doesn't change within a couple of seconds you might need to refresh your browser):

I have finally finished the summer show! 40 paintings done and done. It's an amazing feeling when an exhibition is completed, and for me the work is over but it will be a few months before anyone sees the new work and only then will I know if it is a success. Anyway, I have also done some new work for various galleries in Cornwall in time for Easter. And, on top of all this we have almost finished our extension (two years in the making), just in time for the arrival of family from Australia. I've been going a bit mad with it all and feel like I need a break, I'm sick of dust and noise and can't wait to bid the workmen cheerio and get back to normal.

These images are of a painting I've done for the Great Atlantic Gallery in Falmouth. I'm really pleased with the change of scale - I love the weeny man and dog and I may do some more with coastal flowers in the foreground and little cameos in the background...

And here's a bonus photo of my (not so small anymore) puppy Jess, just because I can't resist showing her off!

I'm still cracking on with the show! I hit a bit of a wall last week, but I've started two large pictures and this change of scale has given me a new lease of life. I like to get my teeth into a large painting, and the more complicated the better. I've also been painting people fishing and these are a few sketches that I've then worked up into paintings. At the bottom is a photo of a place that I fish from - how inspiring is that view?