January in the Studio

I love the new year.  January is a time for a good clear out in the studio ready for another year of commissions, exhibitions, workshops and art holidays.  Its amazing how the clutter  grows without me even noticing throughout the year.  So a tidy studio is a ready to go studio …. So far I have

A Planking variation – Purvottanasana

Try this as an alternative, or in addition to, your daily plank – the Upward Plank Pose. Begin by sitting with your legs out straight, place your hands behind your back and press your palms down against the floor with your fingertips towards you.  Lift your pelvis and straighten your legs whilst driving your toes

How to be an artist ? or What does an artist do all day ?

I have spent some time this week with some lovely art students and the question they needed an answer to was ‘How can I become an artist’ and ‘what do artists do all day!’ Well the following is the best way I can answer this question.  I have this list pinned up in my studio

ABSTRACT ART WORKSHOPS

Abstract Art fits into the current age, it does not inhibit creativity and is the basis of painting freely and spontaneously.  It is the optimal way of developing your artistic talent.  An Abstract Art Workshop weekend will be help at Cortijo Las Salinas from 27 September until 4 October. More details can be found on

Painting Holidays at Cortijo Las Salinas

If you have ever wanted to pick up a paint brush for the first time or would like to improve your existing talents, I shall be holding two Art and Painting holidays at Cortijo Las Salinas in Spain this year. Immerse yourself in the landscape, sketch in the studio or break out and have a

Debris down by San Juan River

Its always nice to walk down to the river and sketch what I see, things are always changing and after a big storm the debris had collected into a pile at the bend in the river taking on a form of its own. Back at the studio I painted a rather large canvas using the

An Early Legend

The year 1875, and so it began … Night had fallen on the farm, Cortijo Las Salinas, and a stormy grey sky was overhead. Candles were burning by the large stone fireplace and in a large clay pot cooked the hare that José Maria had hunted for dinner that afternoon.  Natividad poked the fire and

The Ruin

We aptly named a group of old, worn out buildings in the centre of the Cortijo as ‘The Ruin’ which later became Villa Romana when the restoration of this section had been completed. The Ruin was the original and oldest part of the cortijo, possibly with Roman origins, and had been made from the large

The Ancient Haunted Tower

The local area around us has many towers.  They were used as look out posts when villages were under attack and are strategically placed to get the best view possible of the enemy coming from any direction, also to send messages to each other via the towers.  Today most of them are falling apart and 

The return lunch but at Cortijo Las Salinas

It felt like we were having royalty come to visit.  It was mid October 2009, although still warm and sunny the weather could change at any moment, so eating inside was the best idea. We cleaned the house from top to bottom, the outside patios, driveway and most importantly, the cocinon, our entertaining room where