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My flame lily plant came into flower again this year. My neighbour gave me this plant in 2008 from which I painted my flame lily picture. I have taken a couple of photographs for you to see:

5th June: Received a nice telephone call confirming the sale of an old oil painting which I completed on commission in 1984. The painting came back into my hands, and it is very nice to re-sell it – especially as it is going to my big ‘Fan’ in Australia, for which I am most grateful (Artist Code 0014).

4th June: Exciting and wondrous news – we have a publisher interested in publishing our book – such a good incentive to get cracking!!

Returned from a field trip to Spain. Quite a shock returning to 9 degrees in England, from nearly a fortnight at 27 degrees with lovely bright, rejuvenating sunshine. I saw the wonderful golden orioles again (last seen in 2010 from which trip ‘Canoodling in the Loquats’ (Artist Code 1107) was designed and painted). Every morning, just before dawn they sweetly sang their song. By the end of the stay I had watched a pair building a nest from start to finish and been privy to their mating upon the nest. The day before leaving, the female was stoically sitting on the nest which was being buffeted and booted about by the wind and rain, but she stood her ground. I do hope they hatch and rear their eggs and young successfully. I was also in close contact with several wild tortoises of different sizes, four snakes (which I have not yet had time to identify) which were basking in the late afternoon sun when I disturbed them – three slinked away but one stood his ground and reared up for a ‘staring’ match, and the sweet, shy European Bee eaters – lovely colourful birds which look like stiff-winged, gliding aeroplanes as they swoop about catching insects. Whilst watching the bee eaters a great flock of swifts flew so close to me that I could feel their airstream against my head and face as they flew by, and could hear the gentle rushing sound of their wings. One magnificent blue roller was also spotted sitting on a telegraph wire, as well as a recumbent little owl which did wake me during the night sometimes, but was also very vociferous during the day. As well as a single, cooing turtle dove, several Hoopoes were seen. So all in all, this field trip was a wonderful experience. I also forgot to mention the many wild flowers around. Sadly I did not see the wild boar this time, mainly I think because, as everywhere, the area is becoming more built-up each year thus shrinking their roaming grounds and forcing them to move higher up the mountains to less populated areas.

3rd May: My lovely neighbour Alan came round with this beautiful specimen in flower and, even though I have just had minor surgery on my left arm (and I am left-handed!), I have been attempting to sketch the plant before it dies. It is a really beautiful colour but I will probably be unable to complete it at this stage so am making careful notes of the colour mixings and will probably finish the painting at a later date.

6th May: today I managed to fill in with botanical grey (burnt sienna and ultramarine blue mix) and, as you can see, all the little ridges of the bamboo paper I am working with show up in the photograph. I am trying out a new ‘sustainable’ paper which is recommended for botanical work (90% bamboo, 10% cotton rag). Both tracing and laying down the grey wash was very comfortable, but it is when I get down to the nitty-gritty that I shall be able to tell whether I like it or not.

7th May: a bit of green, and the flowers are all the wrong colour. I have not taken to the bumpy surface at all. I shall probably scrap this one and draw it again onto my lovely, usual, hot pressed Aquarelle Arches 100% cotton rag!

The photographic resources and sketches for two further paintings are resting on my easels: Snow Leopards – 24 in x 18 in water colour; Blue and Yellow Macaws (Parrots in the Jungle!) – 15″ by 40″ box stretched canvas in oil. But first to the Green Woodys.

’12 0’clock high’: (Green Woodpeckers (Picus viridis), young English Oak (Quercus robur). Code 1301

As you may be aware, I play golf (Bourn, Cambridgeshire) and on 5 March 2013 whilst coming down the 18th fairway, I noticed some green woodpeckers hopping about around a young oak tree. I counted seven! Another dashed passed nearby and the others suddenly looked up (they were feeding on the ant mounds, and one was vertically perched on the small trunk of the oak tree). I suddenly remembered that natural history photographer John Betts had given me permission to use one of his great photographs as a resource (about 4 years ago!), which typified the woodpecker that flew passed in a hurry. I have been working on a composition since, and this is the preliminary sketch.

Two frozen specimens (one from the Golf course which may have been successfully despatched by the resident Sparrowhawk, but was disturbed before it could take it; and one [undamaged] road kill given to me by a friend) are my main resources. They really do have big dinosaur-type feet, the outside two toes are much bigger than the inside two.

Did you know that woodpeckers have three eyelids? Males have an extra red bit under the eye in their moustache, whereas females have an all-black moustache (been there!!) and juveniles, typically, are all ‘spotty’! They also have a rather long, thin, pink tongue.

17th April, received an invitation from the Hon. General Editor of the Dictionary of International Biography to be included in the Thirty-Seventh Edition to be published Winter 2013. My name was put forward, and inclusion is by invitation only. Whoever the kind person was who nominated me, I am most grateful and humbled that you think I am worthy. Thank you.

Working on my book is taking all my time! Although I do have a Green Woodpecker painting in the wings.

My ‘stint’ as a steward at the Natural World Art Group Easter Exhibition on Monday, 8th April (Banham Zoo) resulted in the sale of six original paintings, one of which was my ‘Pearly King and Queen’ painting (Code 1106) – a very pleasant feeling.
My Beallara Orchid painting has been selected for the 2013 SBA Exhibition, and is featured both on the SBA website and in the printed Exhibition Catalogue.

16th, 17th and 18th April 2013: I spent three great days at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens painting Alpine flowers with tutor Reinhild Raistrick. Needless to say I spent a lot of time discussing techniques with the nine other students, and looking at plants, so did not get my painting completed, although I produced enough studies from which to be able to complete a proper painting in due course.
Iris bucharica
This beautiful yellow iris is indigenous to the areas of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Tadjikastan. Its habit stretches from rocky high places through stony outcrops down to field edges. In Cambridge University Botanic Gardens it is placed in the Eurasian Bed in the alpine glass house.
Over the three days of this refresher art course, the Iris showed me all her different faces. This was the main reason why I did not complete the painting, as each day I discovered something different so wished to record all that I saw. Beginning with a newly-opened flower and tight bud, ending with a clenching spiral dead head, and a new bud and flower.
The sketches here are not in any particular order as I was flitting from page to page filling in spaces as the mood took me.
There is enough drawing evidence here for me to produce a proper botanical painting in due course (and I promised Reinhild that I would email her the completed painting).

This is my Sketch:

Recent completed work:

1210 Gothic Illuminated Letter ‘D’

1211 Harry the Hound

1212 Persimmon (Fruit of the gods, Sharon Fruit)

1213 Toby in the Sand Dunes (Black Labrador)