This year has been one of revisiting old haunts – Mull and Iona, the
Northumberland coast and St Abbs.

As always this means painting on the edge:
edge of safety (St Abbs cliffs) edge of comfort (almost everywhere in outrageous
weather) and edge of what’s possible when painting and drawing birds. Under
attack from terns on the Farne islands, looking through the telescope at shags
on the St Abbs cliffs, trying to record a flock of greylag geese on a Mull shore as
the light faded in February. All this I love for its excitement and the intensity of
response it generates in my work.

Back in the relative tranquillity of the North Pennines I worked outside in the
sunny days of June. There are wonderful old hay meadows and marginal grazings
here, which support curlews, lapwings, redshank and snipe, and hares too. In the
meadows hot sheep and lambs under big ash trees and down on the river the
dippers and herons. Drawing and painting all these has also provided material for
paintings and prints made back in the studio.

Painting is usually a solitary business and it has been good to collaborate with a
group of artists (“Loose Links”) which meets regularly to discuss work and has
recently exhibited in Hexham. Also an “artists’ holiday” ( much like a busman’s
holiday) with three other painters in Mull, with time every evening to show and
discuss work and to learn from each other.

Most of the paintings on this page will be in my December exhibition at the
Burnlaw Centre here where I live. This will be shared with potter Sue Dunne
whose work can be seen at www.networkartists.org.uk. I’ll also be showing at the McGill Duncan Gallery's Christmas exhibition and “Flights of Fancy” exhibition in March 2011