Plein air painters often go out on their own so it’s always a welcome opportunity whenever events are organised that allow us to spend time with loads of like minded painters.

I’ve attended A Brush With The Broads for 4 out of 5 events it has organised so far and have enjoyed each one in equal measure. At the end of September, we all gathered again, this time at Hall Farm Cottages in Horning in Norfolk for some fun activities of plein air painting, painting demonstrations and competitions. We even got to have at least one meal together. 

This year it rained! It rained and rained and rained but for the more intrepid amongst us this did little to dampen our spirits and we forged on stoically taking advantage of the short breaks and occasional bursts of sunshine.

To some it might seem a little foolhardy but we all have our interests and the little things for which we make personal sacrifices. When you enjoy it, it does not feel like hardship. What’s a bit of rain between friends eh?

I’m certainly looking forward to the next session and as I make my painting related plans for next year one thing I am considering is making more time with fellow artists out in the open doing what we enjoy best. 

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It’s a questions many bloggers must ask themselves, do I really need to do this? I mean who even reads them? Everyone wants to be on social media for whatever reason, some to promote a business, some to share a view or just because...

For me there are small anecdotes I want to share from time to time; nothing major but every now and again there’s something. Today I am just musing. What do artists do all day? Ha ha I think someone already made a documentary about that...

Well today was s gloriously sunny day. That’s another thing... we talk about the weather so much but then it is so changeable so a great conversation starter..

So like I said, it’s been gloriously sunny, it’s Saturday and I hooked up with my friends from Northampton Urban Sketchers to sketch sunflowers at Overstone Grange Farm near Kettering. It was fun and relaxing. The farm offers a pick your own service and was doing it for the first time this year and kudos to them I think it has been a success. In October it will be pick your own pumpkins and you know...? More grease to their elbows... long may it last.

The area would be great for plein air sessions and we have hinted we would love to come back.
in the meantime a few pictures... Have a nice day!


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It really is quite bizarre! What is it with me and cormorants? I had no idea I had any interest in any sort of marine wildlife until a holiday in the outer Hebrides in the summer, and after a boat ride round the Isle of Lewis, lo and behold, there I was, hooked on these primitive looking creatures.

When a fellow artist told me there were cormorants on the lake at Delapre Abbey, I was sceptical at first but nevertheless grabbed my camera and sketchbook and went in search of the reptilian looking birds. I arrived to find a single solitary bird in flight just as it disappeared into the horizon.

The young father who had brought his children fishing must have sensed my disappointment. 'Birdwatching?" He was curious and up until that point I hadn't realised I was. "Well in a manner of speaking", I replied, "I heard there were cormorants here". "They are usually on that tree over there...", he was  pointing to a cluster of tall trees a fair distance away, "You will need to get here a little earlier though". 

So the next time I arrived, I found perched high up in the branches a colony of 9 or 10 birds; some flapping, some with outstretched wings and one looked like it was feeding it's young. 

I really wanted to sketch the birds but they were just too far away to do this comfortably. My camera at full 300mm zoom could just about pick out the silhouettes. Nevertheless I walked round the lake to find the closet spot I could manage and grabbed a few shots. I was over the moon. 

For the intrepid plein air artist and urban sketcher, the lake at Delapre has much to offer. It's not just the wildlife but at different times of the day and during the different seasons, the lake can look very different. I am quite excited about spending more time here. Dare I say it? Watch this space