Paintings of Landscapes:

Visiting England in the spring is the best  time to see the Rhododendrons in full bloom. There are many National Trust Gardens where you can see the beauty of this bush as well as areas where the plant grows wild. I remember a hillside of Rhododendrons on the trail leading up to  Lynmouth on the North Devon coast. We were staying in Lynmouth when we took a local bus towards Minehead and walked back along the coast. On the way back we met a field of wild Rhododendrons which had been planted on the hillside. What a treat! This photograph was taken at a National Trust property in Cornwall called

Lanhydrock. The property has extensive grounds and in the spring, expensive blooms of Rhododendrons. It was a delight to discover them and a pleasure to paint them afterwards.

I particularly liked painting this scene. It is quite a large painting with expansive views which are so like what we often see when we hike inland in the hills. In England, The Lake District, The Cotswolds, The Peak District, The Yorkshire Dales or any of the upland areas of England, and there are many, will offer up scenes like this should you venture onto the trails. The idea of being up close to nature is appealing. Also, the chance of  seeing for miles in all directions is worth the effort in getting there. It is balm for the soul and an experience which stays with you long after you have taken off your hiking boots and returned home.

The photograph this painting was painted from was a postcard that caught my eye. I embellished it with sheep grazing in the foreground which is what we see on our many hikes in England. Looking at it makes me happy and helps me remember the happy times on the trails and in the hills.

The Lake District is a famous area in England for hiking - made more so by the exploits of Alfred Wainwright and his thorough exploration of the area. The paths are plentiful and well used. This painting is taken from a picture which I took when we walked from Grasmere to Ambleside past the Langdale Pikes on route. The lake in the foreground and the mountains in the distance is again typically "The Lake District." 

Alfred Wainwright was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells was published between 1955 and 1966 and has become the standard reference book for hiking in the Lake District. This walk was listed as one of his favourites. We certainly enjoyed it a few years back.

This painting was completed after a trip to Ireland in 2018. We visited Killarney and in particular the park close by. Here we found wild deer roaming, a lake you see in the background and a castle. In the distance were the hills of Killarney and the ever present clouds which heralded that rain was coming our way. We had a delightful day of exploring the park, the castle and the area. Again, we were close to nature, had a day of walking in attractive surroundings and the pleasure of the discovery of the castle and the lake. What could be nicer? Killarney is a delightful place to visit.

Near Killarney in the south of Ireland, is a most interesting excursion. The Gap of Dunloe  I discovered first in 1978 when I walked through it with our young daughter, not yet two. We were later met by a boat in the Killarney Lakes and returned to where we had parked the car.

In 2018, we returned to the Gap of Dunloe with the intention of walking it again. This time was different however. Instead of a clear blue sky and pleasant weather, we had a very ominous cloud overhead which dogged our path. The Gap can clearly be seen in the painting, but so too the lowering clouds. We went on until the ensuing rain drove us back to the car. When you are traveling, there is little desire to wet all your gear with little chance of drying it. However, the mood of the walk appealed to me and especially when I saw a tumbling brook with the Gap in the background. We saw sheep, an old ruined cottage, horse drawn carts of visitors and lastly the rain. A memorable day!