An exciting and challenging commission recently was to paint a house in Filey. It is one of those characterful Victorian houses with lovely windows and brickwork. A statement in colour was central to the brief along with my trademark florals.

Above: Images of work in progress

The painting is a good example of observation and imagination working together to produce a hybrid, part reality and part make believe; all inspired by close observation of the house itself.

I have just been lucky enough to travel to Donegal to stay in a cottage by the sea and spend all week painting the spectacular view from the front door. Errigal is the highest mountain in Donegal. When the weather was bad I could paint it from the window. This is a haunting part of the world. Charismatic with an ever changing light. The light not only changed every day but in every part of every day. I began four paintings but ended up concentrating on one. It began on an overcast day and was completed in twenty eight degrees of sunshine when the constant cloud over Donegal lifted. The result is a mixture of all weather.

Errigal Mountain Donegal - Acrylic on Gesso on Birch - 4ft x 18”