Blood Tree Lane to Folly Hill Painting

As a child, I moved around a lot. This was both a blessing and a curse. Leaving friends behind every six months to two years and making new ones. New friends, new homes, new scenery. In the mayhem, I gained a lot of peace and tranquility from the quiet and vast places. Some of my fondest memories are of the western isles of Scotland where I first went to school. Rugged coastline and hills. Fantastic beaches. Ferry crossings. My summers from 1974 through 1984 would often be spent in Northern Ireland. The incredible shoreline of the Antrim coast and access to vast woodland where my uncle was a Forestry Manager had a deep and lasting impact. As I grew a little older I was roaming through small forests in Germany feeling like they were magical playgrounds. What seemed like never-ending evergreen stretched ahead of me. Deep green, bright sunlight, and dark shadows. The smell of the pine. In my teens, I joined the air cadets and enjoyed long walking adventures and mountain climbing in Wales and England. In my twenties, I had three different adventures that generated a strong affair with the North Western Highlands of Scotland. Glorious majestic mountains, breathtaking glens, and stunning inland and coastal lochs. I ended up going back for my honeymoon for a week in my thirties and long to go back again soon. Painting landscape there in the open air, now that would be magical... with a raincoat close by of course! Although I ended up in the south and now the middle of England I still adore mountain and forest landscapes. It feels like it's a deep and significant part of me. Working on my paintings feels like casting a spell to take me back there! I'm now a husband and dad. My daughter's preference for a holiday? Adventuring through woodland and rugged countryside... MUSIC: I adore a good gig. The really good ones have definitely affected me long term. Both in the audience and on stage. I started playing in bands in my late teens. Guitar and Bass Guitar. Look out for music themes in upcoming oil work and past sketches. I want to try and capture the energy and mood of a performance. DANCE: Some of my favorite and very personal moments have been on the dancefloor! I'd encourage anyone who has never done it to just take a step in that direction. It could be a gig a club or a festival. For me, the beauty comes from the moment you let go and finally realise you have surrendered to the beat and are part of it.