I recently had two paintings in a local show where the theme was the Great British Summer Holiday. The gallery wanted it to be a nostalgic look back at the heyday of British summer holidays.

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of the Victorian bathing machines. If you haven’t seen them, they were essentially wagons that transported bathers from the shore into the water so they could safely take a dip in the sea. It gave bathers a more secluded bathing experience and a private place to change into their swimwear (very important for the Victorians!).

I found plenty of reference photos online, and as they’re all more than a hundred years old I didn’t need to worry about copyright. Being black and white I did need to be inventive about the colours I used.

The bathing machines would have been painted different bright colours so the bathers could easily recognise their one to return to after swimming. That gave me a lot of leeway with my colour options.

I started with drawing (always my starting point when tackling a new subject). Sketching from the photos and looking for compositions I was happy with. I also played around with colour options.

Once I was happy with the composition and colours I worked these up into two paintings. I used A4 oil painting paper (from Cass Art) and oil paints.

I enjoyed bringing colour to these scenes from a bygone time. It made me feel closer to the people in the photos. I think there’s something to be said for being able to enter the water from one of these machines and avoiding so much said in your toes, although I don’t fancy the woollen Victorian swimsuits!

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The results had me questioning myself: are they too different from each other? Is it ok to play with the image and add pattern or are sections getting too abstract? Am I letting myself get too influenced by the artists I admire? (in particular Henry Issacs light filled landscape paintings are an inspiration).

What I’ve come to understand is that each painting has taught me something, even if it’s something small, and I took that with me into the next painting. Each painting then built on the last, even if it isn’t immediately obvious when looking at the them.

There’s also the understanding that I can’t capture everything in one painting. One is bright another is more subdued, reflecting the light at the time. One has solid colour, another is more dappled, again reflecting the changes in nature.

Ultimately each painting gives something unique, and maybe that’s enough.

I’d be interested to know if other creatives are having similar thoughts, or if you have a preference out of the four paintings? Do let me know in the comments!

Some of my bluebell paintings are available in my Etsy shop if you’d like to take a closer look.

Etsy shop

I painting these tulips outside in my garden on a sunny April day and looking at it always takes me back that bright spring day.

I’ll be exhibiting alongside a talented group of artists. All the work is available to view and purchase through Artsy. Here’s the poster for the exhibition:

Do come along if you’re in the area, or have a look at the variety of talent on display through the online catalogue on Artsy.

You can also see more of my tulip paintings on my Etsy shop.

I’ve had the chance to exhibit twice this year and I’ve learnt a lot about hanging work and how a show is put together. The gallery curator has been generous with sharing her time and knowledge which has been so helpful.

It’s a great opportunity to show my work alongside other local artists and get to be part of a group show. It’s nice to have that support and opportunity to catch-up and hear about the processes behind their work.

It’s also nice to share my work in real life. Although I enjoy posting my work online, it is a different experience sharing in a gallery and talking to people who come in.

The current show is on until 13th May 2026 so do come along if you can. If you’re not local why not check out your own local gallery space and see what’s on?

We’ve had a few sunny days recently, so as well as painting tulips inside I’ve also been painting in the garden which has really made it feel like spring 🌷

The tulips in the pot in our garden were a mixed bag of bulbs from a local garden centre that I planted back in November. I’m really pleased with the variety of colours and shapes.

I also took the opportunity to try painting on hardwood board (I’ve only painted on canvas or paper in the past). It’s an interesting surface to paint on, reacting differently to canvas and providing more of a gloss finish which I like. I’ll be trying it again in the future.

Some of my tulip paintings are now available in my Etsy shop so do go and have a look.

Etsy shop

Our wallflowers have lasted throughout winter right into March, providing much needed colour when everything else in the garden was in hibernation. They also provided a source of food for insects through the colder months.

It’s been lovely to be able to paint them, sometimes sitting outside and painting when the sun has been out, other times taking the paintings into my studio space and working from the memory of their wonderful colour.

The latin name for Wallflowers is Erysimum cheiri and the word erysimum is derived from the Greek eryomai, meaning "to help" or "to save". This was due to its use in medicine, but to me it has a wider significance, as a saviour through winter.

I have some of these paintings available in my Etsy shop if you’d like to take a closer look.

Etsy shop

Carnations can be dismissed sometimes as filler flowers but I think they deserve to be in the spotlight more. They have such colour variations and shapes, providing endless inspiration.

I experimented with different styles and lighting, enjoying the range it produced. Lighting in one way gave a pink hue, but in other light the flowers were a softer peach.

These flowers lasted for two weeks in my studio space, giving me a lift every time I entered the room. Hopefully some of that feeling has infused into my work.

Some of these paintings are now up in my Etsy shop, do take a look 🌷

Etsy shop