Here’s a little video of my pen and watercolour paintings inspired by a visit to the beautiful town of Luang Prabang in Laos. I made the concertina sketchbook by folding and tearing a single A2 sheet of Arches 300gsm watercolour paper.
I’m sticking with the nature theme for Burnham Art Trail 2025. I’ve made small mixed media paintings inspired by the flowers that were blooming in some of the artists’ studio gardens during Art Trail week last year.
Come and visit 4 Fernlea Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, CM0 8EJ 11am-5pm from Saturday 21st until Sunday 29th June 2025
You an check out the info for all the venues and artists on the Burnham Art Trail website.
These eryngiums were shining in the sunshine in the garden of Studio 4A in Witney Road.
Also known as giant sea holly – they are spitefully sharp – and Miss Willmott’s ghost after a legendary nineteenth century gardener who would secretly sow the seeds in other people’s gardens.
I started painting these while hanging out in the Franklins’ beautiful garden at 4 Fernlea Road (my own venue). I finished them off with a crackle glaze and glitter gel as I felt that they reflected the shiny, spininess off the plant.
I was really drawn to these blousy giant scabious flowers which were blooming in the Frankins’ garden.
I started with permanent marker and watercolour paint and then deepened the greens of the centre of the flowers with coloured pencil and felt tip pen.
I accentuated the shape of the circular centre by transferring gold ink with the rim of a glass and added the contrast of the collaged text.
The next three paintings were inspired by the gorgeous water lilies in the Franklins’ pond.
And I chose to depict the daisies in the three paintings below:
I apllied little blobs of acrylic paint to add texture and intense colour to the yellow centres.
And then I painted three versions of the verbena / vervain:
And these pansies were blooming on the patio at home during Art Trail week, rather than in the Franklins’ garden:
A visit to the community allotment in Burnham-on-Crouch inspired me to make some mixed media paintings of seeds, bark and flowers for this year’s Burnham Art Trail which takes place during the last week in June.
I started with sunflower seeds – they are so graphic and the black and white shells really mix well with colour.
I wanted to work in a way that was freer than my usual pen and wash approach – with rougher lines and more abstract shapes.
I also wanted to use a wider range of materials.
After the sunflower seeds I moved onto runner bean seeds.
Runner bean seeds are such a beautiful colour – that glorious pinky-mauve with the abstract black markings.
I used black permanent marker pens in various thickness for the outlines and backgrounds of these paintings. They are much broader than the water resistant pens I usually use and I really like the way they bleed into the watercolour paper, accentuating its texture.
The base colour I used on all these pieces was watercolour paint.
As well as flat washes, I also added watercolour paint in splatters and printed circular shapes using the rim of a glass.
Then I went on to add marks with ink and acrylic paint, using nibs and brushes.
After the runner bean seeds I moved on to poppy seedheads, I was attracted more by the shape of the seedheads than their colour.
I also used coloured pencils and metallic pens and inks.
I found that charcoal and pastels gave an interesting finish on the rough texture of the watercolour paper.
And scraping the pastel with a blade gave a satisfyingly intense dusting of colour which I set with hairspray.
I was particularly pleased with how the splatter and the pastel dust worked on my depiction of the these lichenous twigs. I’d really started appreciating the colours of lichen on tree bark during the winter months when there’s so little other colour around.
As well as being beautiful, the seeds are impressive because of their huge potential, that’s especially true of the acorn.
Marigolds caught my eye next. They give vibrant splashes of colour in the garden nearly all year round.
As well as being self-seeding, the marigolds have insect repellent properties so it’s great to have them growing in the greenhouse.
For this year’s Burnham Art Trail I’m showing my paintings in the potting shed of the wonderful Moroccan inspired garden of Frances Franklin – Venue number 4. It seems very apt to be showing these paintings of seeds, bark and flowers in a garden shed.
Here’s a link to the Art Trail map.
I painted the smaller artworks in threes. I tore the paper to separate them once they were finished, mounted them and glued them onto blank greetings cards which I plan to hang in the shed from twine like bunting.
The last set of paintings I made have lighter feel; no black marker pen this time.
The May blossom arrived with the spring and the white flowers and buds shone out like stars against the blue sky.
During Art Trail week, I made the mixed media poppy paintings below, while enjoying lovely company and weather at my Art Trail venue in Fernlea Road.
Do check out my Art Trail post to see photos of my artwork installed at my venue.
I chose this beautiful white weatherboard house as the subject of my recent pen and wash demonstration for Burnham Art Club.
My painter’s eye was drawn by the symmetry, bold outlines and interesting shapes…and also by the weatherboard bin store!
Many thanks for the invitation to share my tips and techniques, and for such a kind and attentive reception from all the lovely art club members who came along.
It was my first demo so I was a bit nervous beforehand, but once I got going I really enjoyed it.
This Swan Hotel custom print was an 80th birthday gift for an ex-landlord of the iconic Maldon establishment from his family.
I may have mentioned before that Marc Bolan, David Bowie (Jones at the time) and Joe Cocker all played gigs in the back room in the 60s!
I “extracted” the Swan Hotel from part 6 (above) of my Maldon High Street series.
A3 prints of my Maldon High Street series parts 1-8 and any of the individual buildings included in those paintings are now available to order. Please drop me a line.
Delighted to complete this pen and wash commission of an elegant Maldon townhouse for its splendid owner.
Please get in touch if you’d like a portrait of your own beautiful home.
I was commissioned to make a drawing of Little Totham Church for a wedding anniversary gift. It really is a beautiful building.
Very pleased to complete this pen and wash commission of a lovely Burnham bungalow for a lovely person.
Please get in touch if you’d like a portrait of your beautiful home!
I was born in Maldon (as was my dad), and I lived there until I was 18 so I feel a very strong bond with the place despite having lived away for 30 plus years.
I decided to paint some of Maldon’s most beautiful buildings.
While I was taking reference photos I got the urge to paint all the façades from the old police station in West Square down to the Rose & Crown on the corner of Butt Lane.
Part of the loveliness of buildings comes from their relationship to their neighbours; that’s something we could also say about ourselves.
That stretch of High Street was too long to fit onto one piece of paper so I divided it into eight sections and started making rough sketches. Then I challenged myself to finish all the paintings in a year and exhibit them at the Maeldune Heritage Centre, which is one of the buildings included in the series.
The exhibition is called “Looking Up” because it occured to me, while I was taking the reference photos, how rarely I take the time to stop, stand still for a while, look up and really appreciate my surroundings. Perhaps you’re the same?
And since I’ve painted these buildings I’ve notice that they’ve become more vibrant to me. I mean that when I walk or drive past them now, they seem brighter and more alive. It’s as if by getting to know all the little details of their faces I’ve made friends with them!
The exhibition ran from 17th August to the 5th September 2023. Many people dropped in to see the paintings and the low tech interactive element – they did some colouring in and shared their High Street memories on the large black and white print in the centre of the gallery.
I’ve had some beautiful fine art prints made which capture the essence of the original paintings at half their size. Please click here to contact me if you’d like to buy prints.
The ink is lightfast, so it won’t deteriorate over time and the museum quality paper is Hahnemuhle William Turner 310gsm, which has a texture and weight similar to the watercolour paper on which I painted the originals.
Read about my summer exhibition at the Maeldune Heritage Centre here.
I made this pen and wash piece over the two Sundays of Art on the Quay, which were part of the Burnham Art Trail. It was the first time I’d participated in the Art Trail and it was an excellent experience. Click here to read more about it.
I made the pen and wash piece above for this year’s exhibition celebrating this iconic vessel in Maldon. Read more about the exhibition here.