Things I’ve Noticed…
For a long time, I called this journal Studio Notes — a place to share glimpses into my painting process and the stories behind my work.
Over time, I realised that the beginnings of my paintings often happen long before I enter the studio. They begin with noticing: a shift in light, the colour of a field, the sound of birdsong, the texture of a hedgerow, or a fleeting moment in the landscape.
This is a place to gather those observations — the small things that catch my attention and, sometimes, find their way into a painting.
The Quiet Before The Marks
I think I may have reached the slightly less romantic part of a creative pause.
The part nobody really talks about.
The part where you have spent weeks noticing, gathering ideas, walking, writing and allowing things to quietly develop… and then you look at your sketchbook and think:
Why am I still not making?
Because the truth is, I have loved this slower season. I have enjoyed having time to pay attention. I have enjoyed writing, reflecting and noticing the small things that might otherwise have passed me by.
It has been a good place to be.
But it isn't always an easy place to be.