The large scale stormy paintings are still slowly being finished. Here’s one I finished today about a storm I experienced on Bryher Isles of Scilly last year. Bryher is such a perfect place to experience these storms. The west coast is a series of shattered tiny cove’s with outcrops of defiant granite all over the place.

Storm Force 9 Bryher oil on canvas 38×90 inches 2009

Well we’ve just had quite a fun weekend The children were invited to a beach party today and we had great weather. I even went for a paddle Brrrrrrrrrrr. We are all still buzzing from the snowboarding we did over half term and watched a few snowboard dvd’s and started to plan our next trip.

I also finished some larger paintings. All 42×48 inches.

                Portheras Cove                   Wild Flowers At Sunset            Evening Calm Portheras

                                                               Morning Mist                     

Ok first of a new series of small-ish new works are now finished and in the on line store where you can find details of sizes and prices.

                                               Gorse Near Nanjizel 20×28 inch 2009

Having delivered all the paintings I needed to at the beginning of the half term break we headed north, stopping off with friends for a couple of days in Manchester. We visted the industrial and science museum with all the steam engines, aircraft and some fun experiments for the children to do. We also visited Manchester University museum which has a fantastic Egyptian section, lots of fossils, minerals and animals butterflies and bugs. Then feeling well rested we headed north. We were a little nervous not having been to Scotland before and having heard the weather is unpredictable so it’s not really a snow sure place and even after crossing the forth road bridge there was little or no snow. only after Breamer did we start to see patches of snow.

We made the decision to go the week before when the snow really fell but then found out that roads out of Cornwall were closed due to snow so we delayed for a week. We found out later that the hotel we stayed at was completely cut off for four days. That would have been fun. Anyway we needn’t have worried the Lecht had a good covering and in anycase this trip was to introduce our children to snowboarding and they totally loved it here are some images.

                                     Lili Saff & me                      Saff                      Aaron

And this is Lili five years old and landing her first jump. I had so much fun teaching them. Lili being so light made things very easy. Lili just seemed to float along. But all three picked up the technique really quickly.

In the end we only had two full days on the slopes and all of us in bed by 8 pm but it was great I would recomend the Lecht to anyone as all the people who worked their were very friendly. It is a very family friendly place.

Julia and Chris

Oh and Lili made a good friend on the slopes and Lili has just asked me to say hello to her friend. So hello Katie from Lili.

Yesterday I delivered artworks to Tavistock and Bournemouth and today will be the last of my deliveries for a week or so… to Bristol and Swansea. We are then heading for some fun in the snow for a much needed break. It will also give me a chance to begin some new winter landscapes. And when we are back I will post some images.

Well I have managed to do some work on the observatory. Not loads, just a couple of images which are on the astronomy page to show the octagonal base I am building. I also have a new painting about all the snow we have been getting.

Sea and Snow at Sunset. Oil on canvas 28×60 inches 2009.

At the end of this week we will be into the half term break so any orders placed may be delayed one week as we will be away from home. I have some paintings to deliver, some friends to see and some snowboarding to do with the family.

I never thought I’d ever get to go snowboarding in Cornwall., at least just where we are which is seriously running out of land. The school was closed for a day and a half and we all feel like we’ve had an unexpected holiday. We had a go in the back garden on monday afternoon and overnight we had more snow. Where we are is just half way up a hill with open fields behind. The next day most of the hamlet came out and our next door neighbour built a small jump. We had so much fun. We also went for a ride on our bikes. Here are a few images of what we got up to…….

Ok I am half way through this post, but I have to take my children to school so I’ll finish this a bit later.

And on the trampoline. And some snowboarding. 

We were all having so much fun in the field above that we completely forgot to take any more images, though our neighbour Mat did and when he e mails them to me I will post them here.

I have a new winter storm painting, called ‘Winter Storm Gwenver’ oil on canvas 48×54 inches.

Winter Storm Gwenver oil on canvas 48×54 inches 2009

I thought I would include a couple of images showing close up details of the textured areas that I build up.

Just click on the image to have a closer look. These parts of the painting are the most heavily worked and often include dozens of layers of paint in my attempt to create that luminous depth of colour and light that emerges through the mixing of light and water.

In the next few days I will be confirming dates for my exhibitions occuring throughout 2009

continuing with the articles and reviews catagory this link will take you to an interview Julia and I did for Holme Consultants and appeared in the Weston Morning News. The premise was to discuss alternative business models in this case Julia and myself as self employed artists, raising a family and discusing  subjects like time management, working environment and working practice.

 http://www.holmeconsultants.co.uk/PDF/Artisits%20Penzance%209thOct-1b.pdf

I have some nmore new paintings available. They have onlyjust been brought into the studio from spending several weeks being painted outside.

                           Storm  30 x 64 inches 2009             Sunset Gwenver 30 x64 inches 2009