Here We Go Again

This is part of a painting I am currently working on, it is 

Barnard Castle from Startforth

 Do you ever feel like you go round and round over the same ground? If you do, I can identify with that feeling. Toward the end of 2023 I decided to wind my painting down. There were other calls on my time and attention and painting was not happening on anything like a regular basis. I was working from a work room in the garden which needed wires running out to it every time I went in and which was not heated when I was not there. Oil paints do not like cold, so everything was taking longer to dry and getting any routine built up was really difficult.

I September 2023 a new granddaughter was born and by January or February of 2024 I started looking after her three days a week. Around the same time, mum asked if it would be possible to move in together, and we started looking for a suitable house. I had no idea how time consuming looking for a house was, what with viewing houses and all the paperwork that wen with it, we all seemed consumed by the effort of organising a move (a move that felt like it would never happen). In July 2024 we finally got moved but that was quite an effort in itself.

As we got settled into this new house and the spare room gradually settled into an art room, I started to make an effort to get back to work. Yet, it was hard work to be motivated. However, encouragement came from many directions but none more so than from my oldest Grand child (now a young adult) and his beautiful bright girlfriend. So here I am in 2025 telling you that I am back at work.

This is very early in this paintings development, it is 

of Barnard Castle from the pipe walk bridge

My current focus is the castle at Barnard castle seen across three seasons and from three different angles. These painting were started way back in 2023. One was rushed to get it on a gallery wall, but I was never completely happy with it, while another was slowly plodding along and the third was little more than blocked out. I am revisiting the one that was supposedly finished, I have reworked the tree line, and I am much happier with it. Currently I am working on the foreground grass. I expect it will be the first one finished. The next will be the winter image of the bridge and the castle finally an autumn painting of the castle from the walk bridge across the Tees looking back at the castle.

I am trying not to be distracted by  the selling side of this until these paintings are finished, despite that selling will have to go on. With this in mind I will do a weekly painting in focus to keep everyone aware of what is available to purchase and give little bits of information about history, geography and general stuff about the images in the paintings.

This is part of a painting that depicts the bridge 

and the Barnard Castle from Startforth side of 

the river walking toward the old factory footbridge.