So, did anyone get snow today? Dull and drizzling here, no matter, the 'Cheviots' commission is done and the next one on it's way to finishing, as long as I don't dally (like, blogging, not painting?).
I've a couple of workshops to rehearse for the weekend and plenty busy till then.

I had to admit to a certain resistance in returning to work in the studio; I practised all manner of diversionary tactics and sketched outdoors, and in the kitchen; even in the car, before dealing with the elephant in the room (not that there was even room for a little one) that was, my farmyard of a studio.
I'm not doing farmyards down, either, I'm sure in some corners of the country there are neat and tidy models of rural industry, but, this time of year you'll be hard-pressed to find a farm that's not knee-deep in mire; and such was the state of my work space, so I have swept and ordered and turfed out and stacked and realise 10ft x 8ft is quite a respectable area to work with, and all the nicer when I can pin back the door and enjoy the spring sunshine.
This week sees me out to paint a final version of the 'Over Lyham' painting, and finishing a couple of workshops I'm delivering at a dance residential course.I've a big, mural-style painting to complete for the local Middle School, which is enormous fun- very vibrant, and, I'd like to post some fresh stuff on the 'Mama Maya' blog I've started, which is devoted more to dancing, and deal with the paper trail of receipts I appear to have been leaving, since last April.
Here's to a productive, contented week for one and all.

I still have to finish this painting, and will do so from the relative comfort of the house; it is a cold, but, lovely day, today (clouding over now). The clouds were just scraping the top of Cheviot and Hedgehope, a little blue sky peeking through and the occasional splash of sun on the snow; cold on the face and hands after an hour, though, and the wind blowing my paintbox over was enough to have me pack up and go home, for the time being.
What the paintnig needs is a little row of red roofed cottages in the lower left of the picture and some more fine definition of hedges and edges of fields. I am conscious of the skyline, which is not to scale, quite, and the great, arching wave of land that crests in front of the hills is not so defined as I'd like.
I need a couple of small, flat brushes that leave a clean line, (not-to-mention more stamina for staying outside) and the self-control to leave the painting alone when it tells me to.

Sketching at mo'; working towards a view of Cheviots, plus waiting for that nice, sunny day for photos at Seahouses, for another commission.
I'm contribution to an exhibition at Marjorybanks Gallery, Coldstream, called 'The Merse' though my paintings are coastal North-Northumberland so I'm clinging on to the title, tenuously.'the Merse' apparently is an ancient name for The Borders region. If Bamburgh doesn't quite count, it's on the, er, border, of it...