
“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” Francis Bacon

“Here is a truth: often a painting is done just so the artist can get to do a small favorite thing, or idea. Entire paintings are done just to get to put highlights on a glass, or shadows on a lemon or sunbursts in the distance. Whole landscapes are painted just to show a small flower in the foreground, or a water drop about to fall from a rose petal. A moment of inspiration to render an idea, so simple a truth that it cannot be rendered simply, but surrounded by complexity of seeing our world, lest the idea be lost. When done, often the original intention of the painting goes unperceived to the casual viewer, but it is there.” Eight Decades blogging on StoryDoors

“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling.” G. K. Chesterton
My little blog turned two today. Wow ― has it really been two years since I started blogging? I thought I’d mark the occasion by making a list of my top ten arty milestones (my personal favourites) from the last year. Click on the images to view the original posts…










So there you are… all in all, I’d call that a very productive year. Thanks for reading.


A little nature study…



Brian Wildsmith (born 1930) has written and illustrated more than eighty books. I love his use of colour and the way he combines abstract textures with carefully considered details. And his animals… his animals have such life and personality. You can check out his website here.
In the style of… appears occasionally instead of my regular Shoot it, Sketch it posts. Using my own photographs as a starting point, I’m drawing inspiration from some of the world’s greatest illustrators. It’s not about slavishly copying someone else’s art; it’s an experiment in seeing things differently.