My week in pictures

Last week I met a good friend for a walk on our moors, we walked quite a few miles and enjoyed the scenery and stopped a while on a rock under a tree to enjoy hot coffee she had brought in a flask and a slice of deliciously moist banana loaf. It was just wonderful to be outdoors, getting good clean air in our lungs and having a good long conversation about lots of things. I’ve really missed my friends these last few weeks, and I know I’ve been something of a hermit as we navigated those tough, wintery weeks in a challenging lockdown. Reconnecting has been very good for my soul.

This is the rock we sat on to enjoy our mini feast and sat quietly listening to the birds. Bliss! We really are quite lucky to call this place home, and the cobwebs were well and truly blown off with a keen, cold wind blowing at us from the Pennines.

There seems to be a lot going off here in my neighbourhood at the moment. The house next to us in our small row of terraces is being gutted and renovated so the noise is extraordinary after a year of the house being empty, and previously being occupied by a lovely old chap who lived alone. There are daily comings and goings of many workmen and intermittent bangs and crashes that make you jump out of your skin!

Other neighbours are also renovating their properties and there seems to be a frenzy of painting, fence repairing and other activities going on, so it’s a blessing to be able to disappear up onto the moors where the only sound you can hear is the whistling wind and the skylarks.

This week my energy has been quite low, and I’ve felt a little bit anxious at times (probably due to the upheaval and noise), and I haven’t really done much in the way of painting at all. Despite motivation being a little slow I’m glad to say that I did manage to film my Hopeful Bird art class for my Kofi platform, and have a feeling it’s going to be a popular one. You can take the class, and access all the other content there for just a £5 donation and if you’re interested you can visit my platform here:

I have decided to change the format of my platform, and rather than it be a regimented roll out of predictable content, I’ve decided to share more in the way of art process videos which are going to be really exciting to make and share, and will replace the monthly class. I’ll still be doing sketchbook shares, material reviews and blog posts too, and I think the most important aspect of the change is that from the 21st April the platform content will be open to all. If you enjoy what I share you are welcome to make a donation but it’s entirely up to you, your donations help me to make more videos and inspiring content to help you on your journey as an artist.

I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that I’ve been caving in to my cravings…oh my, toast and creamy pasta, croissants and cake have featured rather too heavily and my morning routine has slowly dwindled away too. I try to eat as healthily as possible most of the time, but Im not an advocate of diets or denying myself anything. However, there’s a limit to how much cake one can consume without starting to feel a little sluggish so I’ve decided to start a new morning routine, getting up a little earlier so I have time to do my exercise (I like Lucy Wyndham Reed videos on You Tube, or some yoga), get myself ready and have a decent breakfast before heading out the door to take my daughter to school. This morning, it being Sunday, I made myself some oat pancakes with fruit, Greek yoghurt, honey and seeds - it was delicious! I also seem to have a glut of broccoli languishing in the fridge so this evening we will make a pot of veggie soup, using whatever is in the veg rack and enjoy it with some crusty bread. I find food very comforting and love to cook, but I do intend to be a little bit more mindful about what I’m eating from now on; a new routine feels like a fresh new beginning and that in itself feels so very good.

In the garden there are sure signs of Spring arriving. These beautiful tulips have begun to open after a few days of warm sunshine, and elsewhere there are other tulip and daffodil buds just waiting to burst into colour.

The camellia bush which I bought very cheaply at a supermarket a few years ago has the most buds I’ve ever seen on it! They have just this week started to bloom and the colour is a feast for the senses. I’m feeling very inspired by my garden and really enjoying the colour that’s starting to appear now

This week sees some of the restrictions lifted in the U.K. and it means we can meet outside within a group of six. I’ll be able to go for a walk with my Mum and Dad again which is lovely, and the feeling of things slowly getting back to normal feels good too along with the arrival of better weather. Our school doesn’t finish for Easter until this Thursday so I have a few days to potter in the studio and get things prepared for a kitchen renovation…yes, that’s right, yet more noise and upheaval as we finally make some adjustments to our poor tired kitchen! We are having some new worktops and a new cooker, but are painting the cupboards and treating them to new handles as it’s a lovely solid oak kitchen with not much wrong with it aside from the fact it looks a bit tired. I’m quite excited for the renovations to start though, and a lovely new cooker to make all those exciting meals in!

I hope you have a lovely Sunday and good week ahead.