Back From The Country

I ended up having two weeks in the country to work on my story.

It's not finished by any means but I did make a lot of progress.

Also the country living was very healthy and good for me spiritually.

Having said that it's good to be back in the studio now.

A Writer's Retreat

Some of you might have been wondering why there isn't lots of new illustration work going up on the blog. Well I have finally gotten my act together to get on and write my own story, and I have been spending a lot of time developing it.
My publishers like the idea of the project but I have some major revisions to make on my text.
I've got a week in this writer's retreat cottage in the country to try to get on with my rewrites.
It will be just me and the dog, and as there's no TV and no internet I will have no excuses not to get some serious work done.

Stickback Chair by a Window

This picture of a chair by a window is from the same series as the Plank Door.

Cottage Plank Door

Speaking of almost empty pictures, here is an oil painting which is simply a study of light falling on a plank door in an old cottage.
I can't quite believe I painted this one.
I love the formal arrangement of planes, and the nice sketchy rendering of the door itself.
I hope to do a lot more simple and evocative pieces like this.